Words / C2

FLOR-id/ˈflɒrɪd/

Florid means over-decorated in style, or a red, flushed face: florid prose, a florid complexion. Ornate and flowery are cousins for writing; red-faced is everyday for the body. Florida is a lookalike. Do not call a required methods sentence florid because it contains a number.

Meaning

Having too much decoration or elaborate language; also a red complexion.

Examples

• “Florid praise in the preface hid an empty results cell.”
• “Flowery is the everyday writing insult. Ornate can be architecture. Ruddy is a complexion. Florida is a place. A sample-size sentence is not ornament; it is the paper.”

Good to know

Over-ornate (prose); also ruddy. Everyday (writing): flowery. Mix-up: Florida. A number in methods is not decoration.

Near in meaning

flowery

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