baroque

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adjective, often capitalized ba·roque \ bə-ˈrōk , ba- , -ˈräk , -ˈrȯk \

Definition of baroque

1 art :of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of artistic expression prevalent especially in the 17th century that is marked generally by use of complex forms, bold ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement, and tension

a baroque cathedral

baroque music and literature

the baroque period

2 :characterized by grotesqueness, extravagance, complexity, or flamboyance

a truly baroque act of sabotage
—G. N. Shuster

3 of gems :irregularly shaped

a baroque pearl

—

baroquely

adverb

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Examples of baroque in a Sentence

a somewhat baroque writing style
a book filled with baroque descriptions

Recent Examples of baroque from the Web

The Air Max Plus first hit shelves in 1998, a time when aggressive, baroque designs were the hottest thing in sneakers.

— jake woolf, GQ, "The 8 Most Popular Sneakers of Summer 2017," 9 Aug. 2017
The record achieves a masterful balance of soulful melodic delirium and detail-rich arrangements that never get bogged down by their baroque flourishes.

— peter margasak, Chicago Reader, "LA studio rat Chris Schlarb keeps evolving his lush Psychic Temple project," 27 July 2017
Toronto baroque-pop ensemble Broken Social Scene is not typically in one place at the same time.

— claire lobenfeld, Billboard, "How Broken Social Scene Became Whole Again: 'The Friction Has Been Ironed Out'," 14 July 2017
With baroque elements like violins and a rhythm section that suggests R&B, Eleanora brings a refreshing elegance to its rock music.

— jeff milo, Detroit Free Press, "8 must-see musical performances at Pig & Whiskey in Ferndale," 12 July 2017
Milosz spent his high school and university years in Vilnius, the capital of Polish Lithuania, a baroque city of Roman Catholic churches and many synagogues, the Jerusalem of the North.

— edward hirsch, New Republic, "Czeslaw Milosz’s Invincible Reason," 30 June 2017
Today’s stunning neo-baroque castle replaced earlier versions that burned down over the centuries.

— christine van blokland, USA TODAY, "Take Me Away: Copenhagen’s fairy tale cityscape," 28 June 2017
As Harry Potter fans know, Luna’s eccentric wardrobe of pink plaid outerwear, stuffed lion headpieces, and baroque Sprectrespec glasses could have easily walked down Alessandro Michele’s runway in 2017.

— sara klausing, Vogue, "What If Fashion’s Favorite Designers Went to Hogwarts?," 26 June 2017
The city's historic district is characterized by a baroque street plan of circles and diagonal streets.

— brian witte, baltimoresun.com, "Keeping US colonial history above water topic of conference in Annapolis," 26 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'baroque.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Baroque came to English from a French word meaning "irregularly shaped." At first, the word in French was used mostly to refer to pearls. Eventually, it came to describe an extravagant style of art characterized by curving lines, gilt, and gold. This type of art, which was prevalent especially in the 17th century, was sometimes considered to be excessively decorated and overly complicated. It makes sense, therefore, that the meaning of the word baroque has broadened to include anything that seems excessively ornate or elaborate.

Origin and Etymology of baroque

French, from Middle French barroque irregularly shaped (of a pearl), from Portuguese barroco irregularly shaped pearl

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1734

See Words from the same year

baroque Synonyms

Synonyms

excessive, devilish, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, fancy, immoderate, inordinate, insane, intolerable, lavish, overdue, overextravagant, overmuch, overweening, plethoric, steep, stiff, towering, unconscionable, undue, unmerciful

Antonyms

middling, moderate, modest, reasonable, temperate

Related Words

boundless, endless, immeasurable, infinite, limitless; unbearable, unjustifiable, unwarranted; improper, inappropriate, thick, unseemly; unrestrained

Near Antonyms

deficient, inadequate, insufficient; minimal, minimum

Other Fine Arts Terms

Gothic, bas-relief, limn, oeuvre, pastiche, rococo, sfumato

baroque

noun, often capitalized

Definition of baroque

art :the baroque style or the period in which it flourished

Origin and Etymology of baroque

noun derivative of ¹baroque

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1852

See Words from the same year

Other History Terms

agonistic, carpetbagger, enceinte, fief, historiography, paladin

BAROQUE Defined for English Language Learners

baroque

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adjective

Definition of baroque for English Language Learners

: of or relating to a dramatic style of art and music that was common in the 17th and early 18th centuries and that featured many decorative parts and details
: having many details or too many details