WordCraftBY GLOBALRPH

SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS

expatiate

verb

To speak or write at length and in detail.

Compare the alternativesDefinition and examples
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.

Discuss at length

Closest synonyms

elaborateexpandexpoundenlargediscourse

Related words and expressions

dwell onspeak at lengthdevelop in detail

These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.

Usage distinction

Expatiate is formal and normally followed by on or upon; elaborate commonly takes on.

Return to top
Test this word in the Comprehensive Synonym Exam

CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT

See expatiate in use

The guide liked to expatiate on the history of each doorway.
Dictionary practice example.
During rehearsal, Jo became digressive when a question about the screen led her into a long story about a train journey. The tutor invited her to expatiate on the design decision instead, since the audience needed a fuller explanation of why she grouped certain messages together.
From Making the Seminar Clear.

Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.

Synonym reference scope and sources

The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.

How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license

Back to synonym resultsOpen this word's definitionBoth dictionaries
Return to top