Polysyllabic vs Polysyllabically - What's the difference?
polysyllabic | polysyllabically |
(of a word) Having more than one syllable; having multiple or many syllables.
(of spoken or written language) Characterized by or consisting of words having numerous syllables.
In a polysyllabic way.
* {{quote-news, year=2008, date=June 20, author=David Brooks, title=The Two Obamas, work=New York Times
, passage=He speaks so calmly and polysyllabically that people fail to appreciate the Machiavellian ambition inside. }}
As an adjective polysyllabic
is having more than one syllable; having multiple or many syllables.As a noun polysyllabic
is a word having more than one syllable.As an adverb polysyllabically is
in a polysyllabic way.polysyllabic
English
Adjective
(-)- "Antidisestablishmentarianism" definitely qualifies as a polysyllabic word.
- ‘Polysyllabic’ is a polysyllabic word.
- I have a particularly off-putting predilection for the utilization of ponderously polysyllabic linguistic constructions.
Usage notes
Authoritative sources disagree concerning the precise number of syllables needed for a word to count as polysyllabic. The references cited below variously stipulate anywhere from more than one syllable to four or more. In general usage, a polysyllabic word is a word which is regarded as lengthy and polysyllabic writing or speech is often regarded as elaborate, overly lengthy, or excessively complex.Synonyms
* (of a word) multisyllabicAntonyms
* monosyllabic * brachysyllabicReferences
* * *"polysyllabic"in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007) * * Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996) * Oxford English Dictionary , second edition (1989) English autological terms
polysyllabically
English
Adverb
(en adverb)citation