expatiate

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɪkˈspeɪʃɪeɪt/, /ɛkˈspeɪʃɪeɪt/
Audio (Southern England): (file)

Verb

expatiate (third-person singular simple present expatiates, present participle expatiating, simple past and past participle expatiated)

To write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion.
Synonyms: descant, dilate, enlarge, expound
- 1716 March 16 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 22. Monday, March 5. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC, page 438:
  [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.
- 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], “(please specify the page)”, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 48–49:
  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...
- 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:
  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.
- 1992 May 3, Clive Exton, “Comrade Bingo”, in Jeeves and Wooster, season 3, episode 6:
  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.
- 2007, Clive James, Cultural Amnesia, Picador, page 847:
  “It can't fly,” he expatiated. “It can move forward only by hopping.”
(rare) To range at large, or without restraint.
- 1713, [Alexander] Pope, Windsor-Forest. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 62:
  [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.
(obsolete) To expand; to spread; to extend; to diffuse; to broaden.

Translations

to write or speak at length; to be copious in argument or discussion, to descant

Bulgarian: разпространявам се (razprostranjavam se)
Dutch: uitweiden (nl)
French: parler longuement, appesentir sur quelque chose
Greek: μακρηγορώ (el) (makrigoró)
Hungarian: fejteget (hu)
Persian: شرح و بسط دادن
Russian: распространя́ться (ru) impf (rasprostranjátʹsja), разглаго́льствовать (ru) impf (razglagólʹstvovatʹ)

to range at large, or without restraint

Bulgarian: блуждая (bg) (bluždaja)

obsolete: to expand; to spread; to extend; to diffuse; to broaden