CEFR C1

periphrasis

noun

Meaning

The use of more words than necessary to express an idea, often to be polite, evasive, or to avoid directness; circumlocution.

Examples

The politician's speech was full of periphrasis, making it difficult to understand his true intentions.
She used periphrasis to avoid directly telling him he was fired.

Synonyms: circumlocution, indirectness, euphemism, wordiness

Learn English that separates you from the crowd with Anaversity: private classes, Ani practice, Campus tools, and a public English-learning community.

periphrasis (C1)

noun

Pronunciation: /pəˈrɪf.rə.sɪs/

Definition

The use of more words than necessary to express an idea, often to be polite, evasive, or to avoid directness; circumlocution.

Examples

The politician's speech was full of periphrasis, making it difficult to understand his true intentions.
She used periphrasis to avoid directly telling him he was fired.
In poetry, periphrasis can sometimes create a more elegant or evocative description.

How to Use periphrasis

use periphrasis (collocation): To employ circumlocution or indirect language. — "The lawyer chose to use periphrasis to avoid revealing sensitive information."
full of periphrasis (collocation): Characterized by excessive indirectness or wordiness. — "His explanation was full of periphrasis, making it hard to follow."

Synonyms of periphrasis

Words with a similar meaning to periphrasis:

Antonyms of periphrasis

Words with the opposite meaning to periphrasis:

Browse the full Anaversity dictionary