periphrastic

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. adjective roundabout and unnecessarily wordy; ; -T.S.Eliot; (`ambagious' is archaic)

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek περιφραστικός (periphrastikós), from περίφρασις (períphrasis, “periphrasis”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

circumlocutious, circumlocutory, ambagious

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