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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
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
Hoffman has done a marvelous job of reading through Aimee’s voluminous, florid writings and creating a narrative that works for the modern ear.
—Carolyn Kellogg, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
Set against the tumultuous cultural backdrop of Brazil, the album’s florid, psychedelic soul chronicles the relationship between a darker-skinned Black man and a lighter-skinned Black woman.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025
In its first two episodes, The Studio doesn’t (yet) have the ear for florid profanity that Veep did.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for florid
Cite this Entry
“Florid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/florid. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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florid
adjective
Medical Definition
florid
adjective
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