A word or phrase to describe someone who is obsessed with words?

Question

I want to be able to describe the love for, or obsession with, words. It may also be a condition from other's perspective.

It maybe because he is a lunatic who wants to aggrandize his vocabulary, a crazy person who can't forget the words he hears wafting around, or someone who wants to set a world record or something. Try fitting it in these:

He is a _______ who can blurt a thousand synonyms for good.

He is so ______ that he can be called a dictionary with a heartbeat.

He is showing what a _____ he is.

If thesaurus was a ghost, he would be dwelling in that _____'s body.

Any word or phrase would do.

It's a shame that "dictophile" is only a slang term; it seems to encompass the definition and connotations you're looking for. — Liesmith, Jul 14 '14 at 23:32
If I needed a special word for a normal human being, I would suggest Logovore. — John Lawler, Jul 15 '14 at 00:36

score 3 · Answer 1 · edited Jun 15 '20 at 07:40

You can go with verbomaniac. Also, logomaniac is similar.

verbomania: Obsession with words.

logomania: Great enthusiasm for words.

_{Source: http://en.wiktionary.org}

_{Note: Both words have the sense of excessive talking also.}

If you want a more common phrase, you can use word buff.

Note: There is also a similar question asked before:
What's a big-vocabulary word for someone with a big vocabulary?

I'm giving different answers from there which are more related to obsession. For example; logophile, which is given as an answer in that question, comes to mind but logomaniac is closer to obsession.

I've always used logorrhea for excessive talking. – Will Crawford Feb 03 '18 at 11:35 — Will Crawford, Feb 03 '18 at 11:35

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 15 '14 at 05:52

I think lexicomaniac may suggest an exaggerated love for words:

(noun) : one who loves words and reading [Its] book stock, which increases by about 8,000 volumes a year "a far cry from the 800 books that established Carlyle's home for the library's 800 original lexicomaniacs. —The Independent (London), October 26, 2005

Source: http://nws.merriam-webster.com

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 05 '16 at 07:53

3

logophile may be the best of the suggestions to date.

word-lover and word buff also seem to convey a fondness for words and their nuances.

word fan or word fanatic might suggest an excessive enthusiasm for words.

logomaniac suggests an insane and perhaps violent level of enthusiasm.

A name used by a member of Saundspel is linguaphile. This seems appropriate handle for a linguist or language lover.

answered Oct 05 '16 at 07:53

Steve Bett

31

This site strives to provide objective answers. Take the site tour or have a look at the help center to find out more about good answers. As it stands your answer is purely subjective. – Helmar Oct 05 '16 at 08:30

score -1 · Answer 4 · answered Feb 03 '18 at 05:52

-1

Lexophile describes person obsessed with words

answered Feb 03 '18 at 05:52

Dave

1

Welcome to English Language & Usage! Please consider improving your answer by citing a dictionary or other references. – Glorfindel Feb 03 '18 at 12:30

A word or phrase to describe someone who is obsessed with words?

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