pleonasm
noun
Did you know?
Pleonasm, which stems (via Late Latin) from the Greek verb pleonazein, meaning "to be excessive," is a fancy word for "redundancy." It's related to our words plus and plenty, and ultimately it goes back to the Greek word for "more," which is pleōn. Pleonasm is commonly considered a fault of style, but it can also serve a useful function. "Extra" words can sometimes be helpful to a speaker or writer in getting a message across, adding emphasis, or simply adding an appealing sound and rhythm to a phrase—as, for example, with the pleonasm "I saw it with my own eyes!"
Word History
Late Latin pleonasmus, from Greek pleonasmos, from pleonazein to be excessive, from pleiōn, pleōn more — more at plus
1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1
pleonastic
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- rambling
- prolix
- circumlocutory
- exaggerated
- redundant
- verbose
- talkative
- wordy
- diffuse
- communicative
- garrulous
- circuitous
- conversational
- logorrheic
- periphrastic
- long-winded
- tautologous
- tautological
- windy
- voluble
- loquacious
- repetitious
- talky
- gabby
- bombastic
- chatty
- grandiloquent
- hifalutin
- gaseous
- gassy
- embellished
- embroidered
- highfalutin
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pithy
- terse
- succinct
- concise
- sententious
- epigrammatic
- compact
- short
- aphoristic
- brief
- crisp
- summary
- compendious
- abbreviated
- laconic
- condensed
- brusque
- blunt
- abrupt
- curt
- abridged
- shortened
- snippy
- brusk