polysyllabic
2 synonyms and 1 antonym for polysyllabic, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — A polysyllabic word has more than one syllable.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
multisyllabic
sesquipedalian
Antonyms
How to use polysyllabic
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a polysyllabic word
polysyllabic language
polysyllabic jargon
polysyllabic terms
It is a fairly formal, slightly technical word, more common in writing about language than in everyday speech.
Etymology
Polysyllabic combines the prefix poly-, meaning many, with syllabic, meaning made up of syllables. Together they describe something built from more than one syllable.
Full origin of polysyllabic →Frequently asked questions
What does polysyllabic mean?
It describes a word, or language full of such words, that has more than one syllable.
Is polysyllabic the same as multisyllabic?
Yes, the two words are used interchangeably to describe words with several syllables.
What is the opposite of polysyllabic?
Monosyllabic, meaning made up of just one syllable, is the usual opposite.
