ausschweifend

Ausschweifend is a German adjective meaning rambling, expansive, or extravagant in the sense of being long-winded or digressive. It is usually used to describe speech, writing, or behavior that digresses from the main point and includes more details and length than is necessary. The term often carries a negative nuance, implying a lack of concision or focus, though in some contexts it can be neutral if the description is deliberately expansive.

Etymology: it derives from aus- “out” and Schweifen “to wander, ramble.” The related noun Ausschweifung denotes the act or result of rambling, i.e., a digression or sprawling elaboration.

Usage: common collocations include eine ausschweifende Rede, ausschweifende Ausführungen, and eine ausschweifende Beschreibung. Grammatically it functions as an adjective and can be used attributively (eine ausschweifende Rede) or predicatively (die Rede war ausschweifend). The adverbial sense exists in some constructions but is less common.

Nuances and synonyms: synonyms include weitschweifig, langatmig, and ausufernd; antonyms are prägnant, knapp, and konzis. In journalism and literary criticism, ausschweifend is often used to critique texts that exceed or lose focus. See also: digression, rambling style; related noun Ausschweifung.