English

Adjective

polysyllabic ‎(not comparable)

1. (of a word) Having more than one syllable; having multiple or many syllables.

   "Antidisestablishmentarianism" definitely qualifies as a polysyllabic word.

   ‘Polysyllabic’ is a polysyllabic word.

2. (of spoken or written language) Characterized by or consisting of words having numerous syllables.

   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): multisyllabic

Antonyms

• monosyllabic
• brachysyllabic

Related terms

• polysyllable
• polysyllabicism
• polysyllabicity
• polysyllabism

Translations

Noun

polysyllabic ‎(plural polysyllabics)

1. A word having more than one syllable

References

• “polysyllabic” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
• “polysyllabic” in Microsoft's Encarta World English Dictionary, North American Edition (2007)
• "polysyllabic" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• “polysyllabic” in the Compact Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 2007)
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)
• Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)