Main Entry: eu·phu·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈyü-fyə-ˌwi-zəm, -fyü-ˌi-\

Function: noun

Etymology: Euphues, character in prose romances by John Lyly

Date: 1592

1 : an elegant Elizabethan literary style marked by excessive use of balance, antithesis, and alliteration and by frequent use of similes drawn from mythology and nature
2 : artificial elegance of language

— eu·phu·ist \-wist, -ist\ noun

— eu·phu·is·tic \ˌyü-fyə-ˈwis-tik, -fyü-ˈis-\ adjective

— eu·phu·is·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb