florid

adjective

flor·​id ˈflȯr-əd How to pronounce florid (audio)
ˈflär-
1
a
: very flowery in style : ornate
florid prose
florid declamations
also : having a florid style
a florid writer
b
: elaborately decorated
a florid interior
c
obsolete : covered with flowers
2
a
: tinged with red : ruddy
a florid complexion
b
: marked by emotional or sexual fervor
a florid secret life
a florid sensibility
3
: fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome
the florid stage of a disease
4
archaic : healthy
floridity noun
floridly adverb
floridness noun

Did you know?

When it first entered English "florid" was used with the literal meaning "covered with flowers." That use, though now obsolete, hints at the word's history. English speakers borrowed "florid" from the Latin adjective floridus ("blooming" or "flowery"), itself from the verb "florēre" ("to bloom"). "Florēre," which in turn comes from a Latin root meaning "flower," is also an ancestor of the words "flourish" and "florescence" ("a state or period of flourishing"). These days, "florid" can refer to an overblown style in speech, writing, or decoration. As such, its synonyms include "ornate," "rococo," and "overwrought."

Examples of florid in a Sentence

a florid, gilded mirror that took up most of the wall gave a florid speech in honor of the queen's visit
Recent Examples on the Web There are the same intense close-ups of grizzly sweating faces, florid musical score and blazing credits that characterized the Italian master’s spaghetti Westerns. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024 The heady world of fine wine is often justly skewered as being hopelessly elitist and pretentious, where rare bottles sell for tens of thousands of dollars, their flavors and aromas described in florid, over-the-top language that readily lends itself to satire. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 10 July 2023 No florid Daily Mail spread featuring photographs of Zac and Riverwalk; no grandstanding about police inaction. Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 But amid mixed reviews, a florid 2005 original Broadway production, based on both the novel and the film, garnered a pile of Tony nominations (and one win for its star, LaChanze) and played well with audiences. Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 In a florid style, Vallejo retells everything from the Portolá expedition — the first time Europeans explored California by land — to the Gold Rush through historical digging, government records and his own memories and opinions. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2023 But thanks to a few stars who are loyal to florid fingertips, nail art is never going to disappear. Marci Robin, Allure, 7 Dec. 2023 Hausmann’s rendition seemed valid, if less florid than the Kronos’s version. Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2023 Only the incredibly florid, practically unpronounceable names have changed. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'florid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin flōridus "abounding in flowers, brightly colored, in the bloom of youth, highly colored (of rhetoric)," adjective derivative, with the suffix -idus, corresponding to flōrēre "to bloom" — more at florescence

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Time Traveler
The first known use of florid was in 1651

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Dictionary Entries Near florid

Cite this Entry

“Florid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/florid. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

florid

adjective
flor·​id ˈflȯr-əd How to pronounce florid (audio)
ˈflär-
1
: flowery sense 2, ornate
florid writing
2
: tinged with red : ruddy
a florid complexion
floridly adverb
Etymology

from Latin floridus "blooming, flowery," from florēre "to blossom, flourish," from flor-, flos "a flower, blossom" — related to flour, flourish, flower

Medical Definition

florid

adjective
: fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome
florid hyperplasia
floridly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on florid

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