different between polysyllabic vs disyllable

English

Etymology

poly- +? syllabic

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p?.l?.s??læ.b?k/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /?p?.l?.s??læ.b?k/
• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /?p?.li.s??læ.b?k/
• Rhymes: -æb?k
• Hyphenation: po?ly?syl?la?bic

Adjective

polysyllabic (not comparable)

1. (of a word) Having more than one syllable; having multiple or many syllables.

   "Antidisestablishmentarianism" definitely qualifies as a polysyllabic word.

   ‘Polysyllabic’ is a polysyllabic word.

2. (of spoken or written language) Characterized by or consisting of words having numerous syllables.

   I have a particularly off-putting predilection for the utilization of ponderously polysyllabic linguistic constructions.

Usage notes

Authoritative sources disagree concerning the precise number of syllables needed for a word to count as polysyllabic. The references cited below variously stipulate anywhere from more than one syllable to four or more. In general usage, a polysyllabic word is a word which is regarded as lengthy and polysyllabic writing or speech is often regarded as elaborate, overly lengthy, or excessively complex.

Synonyms

• (of a word): multisyllabic

Antonyms

• monosyllabic
• brachysyllabic

Related terms

• polysyllable
• polysyllabicism
• polysyllabicity
• polysyllabism

Translations

Noun

polysyllabic (plural polysyllabics)

1. A word having more than one syllable

References

• “polysyllabic” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "polysyllabic" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• “polysyllabic”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)
• Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)

English

Alternative forms

• dissyllable

Etymology

di- +? syllable

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /da??s?l?b??/

Noun

disyllable (plural disyllables)

1. A word comprising two syllables.

Related terms

• disyllabic

Translations