Word of the Day

: July 25, 2012

florid

adjective FLOR-id

What It Means

1 : very flowery in style : ornate; also : having a florid style

2 a : tinged with red : ruddy

b : marked by emotional or sexual fervor

3 : fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome

florid in Context

Jimmy mopped his florid face and struggled to continue delivering his speech despite the overwhelming heat in the auditorium.

"On Thursday afternoon, peacocking judge Steven Tyler announced his departure after two years with a florid statement about going back to his first love, Aerosmith." - From an article by Gil Kaufman at mtv.com, July 13, 2012

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."