Definition of florid
1a obsolete : covered with flowersb : very flowery in style : ornate florid prose florid declamations; also : having a florid style a florid writerc : elaborately decorated a florid interior
2a : tinged with red : ruddy a florid complexionb : marked by emotional or sexual fervor a florid secret life a florid sensibility
3 archaic : healthy
4 : fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome the florid stage of a disease
From the M-W Editors
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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 of florid from the Web
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Her sweeping, florid essay proved more popular than her husband’s narrow, precise legal argument.
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The collaboration gracefully translates this florid bloom onto classic flat espadrilles, a mainstay along the Mediterranean for centuries.
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An even better companion piece for living-room double bills might be Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, and not just because both the latter and this film star Joaquin Phoenix in florid form.
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Wedding the material to Rhimes' florid style of drama, however, comes across mostly as a marriage of convenience.
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Perhaps that is why this spring’s pratfall down the stairs is leaving especially florid bruises.
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On Monday, at the Met Gala, which honored the Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo and her label Comme des Garçons, the celebrity haute couture on display was either exceedingly florid, or else slightly obscene.
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Haynes used his florid language to describe Cochran in an Oct. 4, 1987, Star-Telegram article.
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Franz Liszt did not just write deliciously florid operatic piano transcriptions, but tried his hand at a couple of operas as well.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'florid'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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."
Origin and Etymology of florid
Latin floridus blooming, flowery, from florēre
FLORID Defined for English Language Learners
florid
playDefinition of florid for English Language Learners
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: very fancy or too fancy
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: having a red or reddish color
FLORID Defined for Kids
florid
playDefinition of florid for Students
1 : very fancy or flowery in style florid writing
2 : having a reddish color a florid face
Medical Dictionary
florid
playMedical Definition of florid
: fully developed : manifesting a complete and typical clinical syndrome florid hyperplasia
floridly
adverbLearn More about florid
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for florid Spanish Central: Translation of florid Nglish: Translation of florid for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of florid for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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