polysyllable
|pol-y-syl-la-ble|
C1
🇺🇸
/ˌpɑːliˈsɪləbəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌpɒlɪˈsɪləb(ə)l/
many-syllabled
Etymology
Etymology Information
'polysyllable' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'poly-' from Greek 'polýs' meaning 'many' and 'syllabē' meaning 'a unit of speech (syllable)'.
Historical Evolution
'polysyllable' came into English via Late Latin/Modern Latin forms such as 'polysyllabus' and directly from Greek 'polysyllabos', eventually becoming the modern English word 'polysyllable'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'having many syllables' and over time it has retained this core meaning in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a word that has more than one syllable; a word with multiple syllables
The teacher asked us to find polysyllables in the poem.
Synonyms
multisyllablepolysyllabic (adj. form)
Antonyms
monosyllablemonosyllabic (adj. form)
Last updated: 2025/09/28 23:25