euphuism
[ yoo-fyoo-iz-uhm ]
/ ˈyu fyuˌɪz əm /
noun
an affected style in imitation of that of Lyly, fashionable in England about the end of the 16th century, characterized chiefly by long series of antitheses and frequent similes relating to mythological natural history, and alliteration.Compare Euphues.
any similar ornate style of writing or speaking; high-flown, periphrastic language.
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OTHER WORDS FROM euphuism
eu·phu·ist, nouneu·phu·is·tic, eu·phu·is·ti·cal, adjectiveeu·phu·is·ti·cal·ly, adverbWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH euphuism
euphemism, euphuismWords nearby euphuism
Euphrates, Euphrates River, euphroe, Euphrosyne, Euphues, euphuism, euplastic, euplastic lymph, euploid, eupnea, eupnoea
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for euphuism
British Dictionary definitions for euphuism
euphuism
/ (ˈjuːfjuːˌɪzəm) /
noun
an artificial prose style of the Elizabethan period, marked by extreme use of antithesis, alliteration, and extended similes and allusions
any stylish affectation in speech or writing, esp a rhetorical device or expression
Derived forms of euphuism
euphuist, nouneuphuistic or euphuistical, adjectiveeuphuistically, adverbWord Origin for euphuism
C16: after Euphues, prose romance by John Lyly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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