Euphuism

Quick meaning: Euphuism is a noun meaning (countable) An instance of euphuism.

Meaning

(countable) An instance of euphuism.

More Meanings

1. Misconstruction of euphemism.
2. (uncountable, historical, rhetoric) An ornate style of writing (in Elizabethan England) marked by the excessive use of alliteration, antithesis and mythological similes.

Example Sentences

“Generalstaatsverordnetenversammlungen” seems to be “Generalstatesrepresentativesmeetings,” as nearly as I can get at it,—a mere rhythmical, gushy euphuism for “meetings of the legislature,” I judge.

Is he one who has led a wild and struggling and isolated life,—seeing few but plain and outspoken Northerns, unskilled in the euphuisms which assist the polite world to skim over the mention of vice?

He became noisy and violent, so I desisted from this aspect of his lesson. “And then,” said I, “you committed the sin of euphuism. You called it not Fat, which is just and inglorious, but Weight. You—”

The second was a fancy, which amounts to a mania, for similes, strung together in endless lists[…]. It is impossible to open a page of Euphues without finding an example of this eccentric and tasteless trick, and in it, as far as in any single thing, must be found the recipe for euphuism, pure and simple.

Word Forms

• euphuisms

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include euphory, eupraxia, eumerism, euphonia, euhemerism, eupraxsophy.

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