Dictionary

expatiate en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɛkˈspeɪʃɪeɪt/
• (General-American) audio
• /ɪkˈspeɪʃɪeɪt/

Etymology

From the participle stem of Latin expatior, from ex- + spatior (“walk about”).

Meanings

1. To write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion.
   • Wooster: If you ask me, art is responsible for most of the trouble in the world. / Jeeves: An interesting theory, sir. Would you care to expatiate upon it? / Wooster: As a matter of fact, no, Jeeves. The thought just occurred to me, as thoughts do. / Jeeves: Very good, sir. 1992 May 3, Clive Exton, “Comrade Bingo”, in Jeeves and Wooster, season 3, episode 6:
   • Governor Bellingham, in a loose gown and easy cap,—such as elderly gentlemen loved to indue themselves with, in their domestic privacy,—walked foremost, and appeared to be showing off his estate, and expatiating on his projected improvements. 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Elf-child and the Minister”, in The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC, page 128:
   • [H]e expatiated on the inconveniences of trade, that carried from us the commodities of our country, and made a parcel of upſtarts as rich as men of the moſt ancient families of England. 1716 March 15 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 22. Sunday, March 5. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC, page 438:
   • Now, as the business of standing mast-heads, ashore or afloat, is a very ancient and interesting one, let us in some measure expatiate here. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Mast-head”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 203:
   • “It can't fly,” he expatiated. “It can move forward only by hopping.” 2007, Clive James, Cultural Amnesia, Picador, page 847:
   • To the pure mind of Isabella thought of no other had arisen; and it was far better that the generous romance of her young heart should expatiate on the rival in heaven, than for a moment dread a rival on earth, and therefore become subject to jealousy... 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], chapter XXVII, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 48–49:
2. (rare) To range at large, or without restraint.
   • [L]ooks on heav'n with more than mortal eyes, / Bids his free ſoul expatiate in the skies, / Amidſt her kindred ſtars familiar roam, / Survey the region, and confeſs her home! Such was the life great Scipio once admir'd, / Thus Atticus, and Trumball thus retir'd. 1713, [Alexander] Pope, Windsor-Forest. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 62:
3. (obsolete) To expand; to spread; to extend; to diffuse; to broaden.

Forms

Deriveds

expatiation · expatiative · expatiatingly · expatiator

Synonyms

descant · enlarge · expand · dilate · expound · elaborate

Translations (10)

bg разпространявам се (to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant) · fr parler longuement (to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant) · hu fejteget (to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant) · ru разглаго́льствовать (to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant) · fa شرح و بسط دادن (to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant) · nl uitweiden (to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant) · el μακρηγορώ (to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant) · ru распространя́ться (to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant) · fr appesentir sur quelque chose (to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant) · bg блуждая (to range at large, or without restraint)