There's no way to talk about prolix without being redundant, verbose, and wordy. That's because the word is a synonym of all of those long-winded terms. Of those words, prolix is the one most likely to suggest unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details. It derives from prolixus, a Latin term meaning "extended" or "copious." Prolixus originated from a combination of the prefix pro- (which means "forward") and the past participle of liquēre, a verb meaning "to be fluid." True to that history, something that is prolix flows on and on.
verbose suggests a resulting dullness, obscurity, or lack of incisiveness or precision.
the verbose position papers
prolix suggests unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details.
habitually transformed brief anecdotes into prolix sagas
diffuse stresses lack of compactness and pointedness of style.
diffuse memoirs that are so many shaggy-dog stories
Example Sentences
The speech was unnecessarily prolix. a person known for habitually transforming brief anecdotes into prolix sagas that exhaust their listeners
Recent Examples on the WebThere’s a hypnotic quality to this freewheeling central section, a sustained charge that falters in some of the more prolix passages around it. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2022 Ames’s ruminations on the soul are prolix, philosophical, and profoundly sad. Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 22 Oct. 2020 Ames’s ruminations on the soul are prolix, philosophical, and profoundly sad. Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 22 Oct. 2020 Ames’s ruminations on the soul are prolix, philosophical, and profoundly sad. Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 22 Oct. 2020 Why would any presenter be prolix and wear out their welcome with any audience? Jerry Weissman, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2021 Ames’s ruminations on the soul are prolix, philosophical, and profoundly sad. Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 22 Oct. 2020 Ames’s ruminations on the soul are prolix, philosophical, and profoundly sad. Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 22 Oct. 2020 Ames’s ruminations on the soul are prolix, philosophical, and profoundly sad. Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 22 Oct. 2020 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French prolix, from Latin prolixus extended, from pro- forward + liquēre to be fluid — more at liquid