1

What is the word to describe an explanatory person who likes to explain everything even though they were asked a question that could be answered simply with "Yes" or "No"?

Hellion
  • 59,365
guest0013
  • 13

5 Answers5

4

A 'know-it-all' is someone who likes to showcase their knowledge at every opportunity. This seems most appropriate for the situation you describe.

Someone who is 'long-winded' simply likes to talk a lot. The answers they give can also be described as 'long-winded'. (Warning: 'short-winded' is not an idiomatic antonym to 'long-winded')

Someone who is 'indirect' will avoid giving simple yes or no answers, instead explaining their viewpoint thoroughly and hoping that the listener will be able to infer their viewpoint. In situations where a direct answer might be deemed offensive, this is rather common.

Coty Johnathan Saxman
  • 1,772
4

The adj. verbose - would denote such a person. (TFD)

*If you're verbose, you use far more words than you need to".

If a friend asks, "Did you have fun at the party?" you can simply answer, "No." Or you can provide a verbose reply that describes just how much you hated the party, who was and wasn't there, the fact that you got lost on the way, the terrible food that was served, and the awful music that was played.

Misti
  • 13,774
Raghuraman R
  • 762
  • 1
    Please support your answer with sources. That makes your answer stronger, and more likely to be viewed as correct (and, as seen above, less likely to be misjudged). Otherwise, even if it's correct, it's likely to be viewed as only opinion. The site tour and the help center will give you guidance on how to use this site. – anongoodnurse Jan 29 '15 at 07:24
  • This is one of the best words, if not the best, because it does not have connotation baggage. I very much like @COTYJOHNATHANSAXMAN's suggestions, "know-it-all, long-winded, and indirect," but all of those phrases are heavily loaded words. Guest0013's original question lacks any context, so a single word to describe many situations should avoid trying to explain why the person over-explains their answers. The alternative to a single word such as verbose is long lists of synonyms. – hunterhogan Jan 30 '15 at 00:47
2

There are numerous possibilities, such as

  • loquacious: Tending to talk a great deal; talkative
  • garrulous: Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters
  • bombastic: High-sounding but with little meaning; inflated
  • gassy: informal (Of people or language) inclined to be verbose
  • fustian: Pompous or pretentious speech or writing
  • grandiloquent: Pompous or extravagant in language, style, or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress
  • magniloquent: Using high-flown or bombastic language
  • orotund: (Of writing, style, or expression) pompous; pretentious
  • overblown: Excessively inflated or pretentious:

Oxford Dictionaries Online

bib
  • 72,782
1

Didact

Dictionary.com:

  1. a didactic person; one overinclined to instruct others.
Wayfaring Stranger
  • 8,181
  • I'll vote you up for offering the most accurate word for the definition, but it's not a well-known word and thus you'll find it's usually not the best choice for a mixed audience. The perfect word is only perfect if the listener understands it. :) – Aiken Drum Jan 05 '18 at 09:25
-1

This is very late but a good word for someone like that is a Pedant.

Jackson Grzegorzewski
  • 9