florid

adjective

flor·​id ˈflȯr-əd 

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

flə-ˈri-də-tē 

flȯ-

noun

floridly

ˈflȯr-əd-lē 

ˈflär-

adverb

floridness

ˈflȯr-əd-nəs 

ˈflär-

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."

Synonyms

• bedizened
• fussy
• gingerbread
• gingerbreaded
• gingerbready
• ornate
• overdecorated
• 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

Putting the florid rhetoric aside, there is an important underlying issue: What is the role of the corporation in society? —Robert G. Eccles, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

For a florid, prematurely bald man in his 40s, Bullitt was remarkably magnetic. —Sam Roberts, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2015

But sentimentality suits Flanagan, whose florid writing style is well matched by the high-concept ideas explored here. —Katie Rife, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2024

As do most books on wine, this one contains histories of famous regions and ancient vineyards, paeans to the distinctiveness of particular grapes, and florid descriptions of specific wines. —Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2014

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

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Kids Definition

florid

adjective

flor·​id ˈflȯr-əd 

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

flor·​id ˈflȯr-əd, ˈflär- 

: fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome

florid hyperplasia

floridly adverb