See More

Some common synonyms of talkative<\/em> are garrulous<\/em><\/a>, loquacious<\/em><\/a>, and voluble<\/em><\/a>. While all these words mean \"given to talk or talking,\" talkative<\/em> may imply a readiness to engage in talk or a disposition to enjoy conversation.<\/p>

\/\/ a talkative<\/em> neighbor<\/p>" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is 'garrulous' a more appropriate choice than 'talkative'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

In some situations, the words garrulous<\/em><\/a> and talkative<\/em> are roughly equivalent. However, garrulous<\/em> implies prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity.<\/p>

\/\/ garrulous<\/em> traveling companions<\/p>" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When can 'loquacious' be used instead of 'talkative'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

The words loquacious<\/em><\/a> and talkative<\/em> are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, loquacious<\/em> suggests the power of expressing oneself articulately, fluently, or glibly.<\/p>

\/\/ a loquacious<\/em> spokesperson<\/p>" } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Where would 'voluble' be a reasonable alternative to 'talkative'?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "

Although the words voluble<\/em><\/a> and talkative<\/em> have much in common, voluble<\/em> suggests a free, easy, and unending loquacity.<\/p>

\/\/ a voluble<\/em> raconteur<\/p>" } } ] }

talkative

adjective

ˈtȯ-kÉ™-tiv How to pronounce talkative (audio)
Definition of talkativenext
as in communicative
fond of talking or conversation a talkative outgoing tour guide showed our school group around the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word talkative different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of talkative are garrulous, loquacious, and voluble. While all these words mean "given to talk or talking," talkative may imply a readiness to engage in talk or a disposition to enjoy conversation.

a talkative neighbor

When is garrulous a more appropriate choice than talkative?

In some situations, the words garrulous and talkative are roughly equivalent. However, garrulous implies prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity.

garrulous traveling companions

When can loquacious be used instead of talkative?

The words loquacious and talkative are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, loquacious suggests the power of expressing oneself articulately, fluently, or glibly.

a loquacious spokesperson

Where would voluble be a reasonable alternative to talkative?

Although the words voluble and talkative have much in common, voluble suggests a free, easy, and unending loquacity.

a voluble raconteur

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of talkative The moody Moon and wary Chiron trine across your talkative 3rd house and your convivial 11th house, guiding your explanations of complex issues. —Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 1 Mar. 2026 Loud, funny and talkative, The Big Bopper merged radio and rock stardom and became a larger-than-life entity with a true theatrical presence. —Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026 Sophia wasn’t particularly talkative that evening. —Dan Turello, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026 Lopez describes her daughter as an energetic, talkative child who speaks both English and Spanish. —Leondra Head, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for talkative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for talkative
  1. communicative
  2. conversational
  3. outspoken
  4. vocal
  5. loquacious
  6. chatty
  7. outgoing
  8. mouthy
Adjective
  • Back in 1961, astronomer Frank Drake put chalk to board and devised a formula to estimate the number of communicative civilizations in the Milky Way.
    — Leonard David, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
  • From the get-go, Vespaio was incredibly kind and communicative when planning our rehearsal dinner.
    — Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of communicative
Adjective
  • Their conversational dance is intricate and fascinating.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Gartner predicts that by 2028 conversational assistants will resolve 70% of customer-service journeys, handling tasks such as triage, routing and issue resolution.
    — Michelle Taite, Harvard Business Review, 11 Mar. 2026
Definition of conversational
Adjective
  • The attempts to meet Conway were unsuccessful, prosecutors said, but added that the pair did arrange two meetings with Rubio, who is a longtime friend of Rivera's and had been an outspoken critic of the Maduro regime.
    — Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
  • Bianco is an outspoken Trump supporter.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of outspoken
Adjective
  • The bill doesn’t have any vocal opposition, Irwin said, but the Legislature has failed to pass it on previous occasions.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 23 Mar. 2026
  • This is much to the chagrin of its rather vocal critics.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of vocal
Adjective
  • The 28-year-old is loquacious and engaging, the ideal traits for someone around whom a team revolves.
    — Maria Torres, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2026
  • Keery’s loquacious doormat of a storage employee falls for his coworker (Campbell) who is not only super smart but resourceful.
    — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2026
Definition of loquacious
Adjective
  • Stack is the sly and cunning one, chatty and quick to grin, unlike his brother, yet certainly with things weighing on him as well.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Dim lights, a chic elegant interior, a chatty and trendy crowd, a menu that’s sophisticated but not too pretentious, and a welcoming bar (plus a little je ne sais quoi) are to be expected.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
Definition of chatty
Adjective
  • Macron's centrist movement, which lacks local grassroots support, achieved one major result in the southwestern city of Bordeaux, where its candidate Thomas Cazenave, a former minister, won over the Green party outgoing mayor.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Mar. 2026
  • The incident occurred just before midnight on Sunday, prompting authorities to suspend all incoming and outgoing flights and warn travelers of widespread disruptions.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026
Definition of outgoing
Adjective
  • The somber nature of the day bleeds into the playable shift, where the usually mouthy heroes abstain from hurling insults and shooting the breeze.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 13 Nov. 2025
  • Maia’s flaky friends Alani (True Whitaker) and Charlie (Jordan Firstman) are, respectively, a nepo baby with a titular vice presidency at her famous father’s production company and a mouthy stylist genuflecting at the feet of small-time pop singers.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Definition of mouthy

Browse Nearby Words

talkathons
talkative
talkativeness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Talkative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/talkative. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on talkative

Nglish: Translation of talkative for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dross

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Are You Misusing These 10 Common Words?

5 Verbal Slip Ups and Language Mistakes

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

12 Words for Signs of Spring

The Opposite of Déjà Vu

The Words of the Week - Mar. 27

Why do we call it a 'pipe dream'?

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Are You Misusing These 10 Common Words?

12 Words for Signs of Spring

The Opposite of Déjà Vu
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little boy with a magnifying glass looking at footprints
Quiz: Spot the Misspelled Word! Think you can detect a spelling error from a mile...
See All