Wordy means using more words than necessary to express an idea. When writing is wordy, it takes longer to get to the point than it needs to. Instead of saying “due to the fact that,” a wordy writer could simply say “because.” Instead of “in spite of the fact that,” they could write “although.”

Imagine trying to tell a friend about an exciting soccer goal, but filling your story with so many extra details and unnecessary phrases that they lose interest before you reach the good part. That's wordiness in action. Clear writing respects the reader's time by getting to the point efficiently.

Teachers often mark student papers as wordy when sentences could be tighter and clearer. “The thing that I want to say is that the book was good” is wordy. “The book was good” says the same thing in four words instead of eight.

Being wordy isn't the same as being thorough or detailed. Sometimes you need many words to explain something complicated. Wordiness means using unnecessary words, like verbal clutter that gets in the way of your meaning. The opposite of wordy writing is concise writing, where every word earns its place by adding something meaningful.