eloquent
adjective
el·o·quent ˈe-lə-kwənt 
1
: marked by forceful and fluent expression
an eloquent preacher
2
: vividly or movingly expressive or revealing
an eloquent monument
eloquently adverb
Did you know?
Since eloquent has to do with speaking, it makes sense that it comes from the Latin verb loquī, which means "to talk or speak." (The adjective loquacious describes a person who is skilled at or has the inclination for talking.) Expression of the self can be seen and not heard, which gives meaning to eloquent as an adjective for nonverbal impressive acts.
Synonyms
- articulate
- fluent
- silver-tongued
- well-spoken
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
He [H. L. Mencken] relished the vagaries of vernacular speech and paid eloquent homage to them in The American Language. 
Jackson Lears, New Republic, 27 Jan. 2003 Samuel Johnson is palmed off in classrooms as a harmless drudge of a lexicographer, yet open the Dictionary anywhere and find precision and eloquent plainness. Guy Davenport, The Geography of the Imagination, (1954) 1981 There was a burst of applause, and a deep silence which was even more eloquent than the applause. Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886 His success serves as an eloquent reminder of the value of hard work. an eloquent writer and speaker, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the founders of the women's rights movement
Jackson Lears, New Republic, 27 Jan. 2003 Samuel Johnson is palmed off in classrooms as a harmless drudge of a lexicographer, yet open the Dictionary anywhere and find precision and eloquent plainness. Guy Davenport, The Geography of the Imagination, (1954) 1981 There was a burst of applause, and a deep silence which was even more eloquent than the applause. Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886 His success serves as an eloquent reminder of the value of hard work. an eloquent writer and speaker, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the founders of the women's rights movement Recent Examples on the Web Bhavya Dore’s reporting on the long-term consequences of a fraught adoption pipeline between Sri Lanka and Western Europe is tender, eloquent, and nuanced. Longreads, 8 Sep. 2022 Per usual, Bryant is eloquent throughout, a true scholar of the game. Mark Stock, Men's Health, 26 Aug. 2022 There were people who were really eloquent who brought it home far less pictorially and did a much better job of reaching that point. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2022 Despite the outdoor acoustics, the sound was remarkably rich in the first movement; the second was eloquent; the third buoyant but still substantial, carried off with understated panache. New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022 Boundless erudition and eloquent exasperation define her essay collection, which provokes and discomfits, but ultimately engages, edifies, and thoroughly entertains. Monitor Reviewers, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 July 2022 For all his steely intensity in the first movement, Grosvenor’s greatest gifts were apparent in the second, which saw a string of eloquent conversations between piano and various woodwinds, all in a spirit of incredible tenderness. Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 11 July 2022 The movie’s voice-overs are eloquent and emotional but use stilted language, which didn’t fit Mary’s journey. Alyse Stanley, Washington Post, 29 June 2022 After the first story – a moving, eloquent TV feature done by former local sports and news anchor Brad Johansen – Lisa presented her daughter with two options. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 26 June 2022 See More
Longreads, 8 Sep. 2022 Per usual, Bryant is eloquent throughout, a true scholar of the game. Mark Stock, Men's Health, 26 Aug. 2022 There were people who were really eloquent who brought it home far less pictorially and did a much better job of reaching that point. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2022 Despite the outdoor acoustics, the sound was remarkably rich in the first movement; the second was eloquent; the third buoyant but still substantial, carried off with understated panache. New York Times, 19 Aug. 2022 Boundless erudition and eloquent exasperation define her essay collection, which provokes and discomfits, but ultimately engages, edifies, and thoroughly entertains. Monitor Reviewers, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 July 2022 For all his steely intensity in the first movement, Grosvenor’s greatest gifts were apparent in the second, which saw a string of eloquent conversations between piano and various woodwinds, all in a spirit of incredible tenderness. Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 11 July 2022 The movie’s voice-overs are eloquent and emotional but use stilted language, which didn’t fit Mary’s journey. Alyse Stanley, Washington Post, 29 June 2022 After the first story – a moving, eloquent TV feature done by former local sports and news anchor Brad Johansen – Lisa presented her daughter with two options. Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 26 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin ēloquent-, ēloquens "capable of speech, expressing oneself fluently," from present participle of ēloquī "to utter, put into words," from ē- e- entry 1 + loquī "to talk, speak," probably going back to dialectal Indo-European *tlokw- "talk," whence also Old Irish ad-tluichethar "(s/he) gives thanks" (originally with buide "thanks" as object, as in atluchedar buidi do Día "he thanks God"), do-tluichethar "(s/he) desires, beseeches, asks," Old Church Slavic tlŭk "interpreter" (from *tl̥kw-o-)
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing eloquent
Kids Definition
eloquent
adjective
el·o·quent ˈe-lə-kwənt
1
: having or showing clear and forceful expression
an eloquent speaker
an eloquent plan
2
: clearly showing some feeling or meaning
an eloquent look
eloquent
adjective
1
as in articulate
able to express oneself clearly and well an eloquent writer and speaker, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the founders of the women's rights movement Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- articulate
- outspoken
- vocal
- expressive
- well-spoken
- fluent
- glib
- voluble
- silver-tongued
- loquacious
- verbose
- talkative
- verbal
- facile
- unhesitating
- chatty
- garrulous
- blabby
- smooth-tongued
- unfaltering
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- inarticulate
- ineloquent
- unvocal
- hesitant
- muttering
- faltering
- sputtering
- stumbling
- maundering
- halting
- stammering
- stuttering
- mumbling
- voiceless
- speechless
- mute
- tongueless
- tongue-tied
2
as in suggestive
clearly conveying a special meaning (as one's mood) in an eloquent gesture, the defeated general was graciously given back his sword at the surrender ceremonies Synonyms & Similar Words
- suggestive
- expressive
- revealing
- meaningful
- meaning
- revelatory
- reminiscent
- vivid
- evocative
- significant
- pregnant
- graphic
- pictorial
- sententious
- redolent
- graphical
- rich
- flavorful
- full-bodied
- weighty
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unexpressive
3
as in majestic
very dignified in form, tone, or style President Kennedy's eloquent inaugural address is often credited with inspiring a whole generation Synonyms & Similar Words
- majestic
- formal
- rhetoric
- graceful
- rhetorical
- cultured
- literary
- stately
- lofty
- grammatical
- high-flown
- elevated
- educated
- aristocratic
- grandiloquent
- towering
- oratorical
- refined
- florid
- bombastic
- pompous
- fine
- pretentious
- declamatory
- grandiose
- tasteful
- proper
- classy
- flowery
- stilted
- correct
- highfalutin
- affected
- courtly
- patrician
- genteel
- hifalutin
- learned
- academic
- bookish
- academical
- Attic
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- low
- undignified
- ineloquent
- conversational
- informal
- colloquial
- casual
- slangy
- unliterary
- vernacular
- vulgar
- common
- crude
- coarse
- nonformal
- unpolished
- rude
- uncouth
- unrefined
- gross
- indecent
- crass
- rough
- tasteless
- uncultured
- uncultivated
- uneducated
- lowbrow
- ungrammatical
- incorrect
- unbookish
- unlearned
- substandard
- rough-hewn
- ill-bred
- lowbred