euphuism: Meaning and Definition of

eu•phu•ism

1. an 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.
2. any similar ornate style of writing or speaking; high-flown, periphrastic language.