- an artificial prose style of the Elizabethan period, marked by extreme use of antithesis, alliteration, and extended similes and allusions
- any stylish affectation in speech or writing, esp a rhetorical device or expression
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
eu•phu•ism
(yo̅o̅′fyo̅o̅ iz′əm),USA pronunciation n.
eu′phu•ist, n.
eu′phu•is′tic, eu′phu•is′ti•cal, adj.
eu′phu•is′ti•cal•ly, adv.
- Literaturean affected style in imitation of that of Lyly, fashionable in England about the end of the 16th century, characterized chiefly by long series of antitheses and frequent similes relating to mythological natural history, and alliteration. Cf. Euphues.
- Literatureany similar ornate style of writing or speaking;
high-flown, periphrastic language.
- Euphu(es) + -ism 1590–1600
eu′phu•is′tic, eu′phu•is′ti•cal, adj.
eu′phu•is′ti•cal•ly, adv.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
euphuism /ˈjuːfjuːˌɪzəm/ n
'euphuism' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):