periphrasis
periphrasis — noun
1. a style of expression in which a person chooses longer or more elaborate phrasin
a style of expression in which a person chooses longer or more elaborate phrasing where a short, direct alternative would also work — for example, saying "I am firmly of the opinion that" rather than simply "I think that".
Theo tends to use periphrasis when he wants to sound more diplomatic during tense meetings.
collocation: use periphrasis
The politician's speech was full of periphrasis, which annoyed the journalists who wanted clear answers.
Clara realised her professor disliked periphrasis and preferred simple, direct language in essays.
In legal writing, periphrasis is sometimes used to describe a sensitive fact without stating it bluntly.
Mei replaced every instance of periphrasis in her report with shorter phrases to meet the word limit.
- circumlocution
more common and slightly less formal; the most direct synonym for sense 1
- indirectness
broader in meaning; can also refer to behaviour, not just speech or writing
- euphemism
specific type of periphrasis that replaces a harsh word with a milder one
- directness
the quality of saying something plainly without extra words
文法句型
periphrasis + singular verb
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense — do not say 'a periphrasis' to mean an instance of indirect wording. The word is most common in formal or academic contexts such as literary criticism, rhetoric, and political commentary.
常見錯誤
2. a grammatical pattern where separate words — such as auxiliary verbs or preposit
a grammatical pattern where separate words — such as auxiliary verbs or prepositions — carry a grammatical meaning that could instead be shown by changing a single word's ending; for example, using "more slowly" instead of "slowlier", or "of the teacher" instead of "teacher's".
In linguistics class, Arjun studied how periphrasis gradually replaced the old case endings of Old English.
collocation: periphrasis replaced [inflections]
Nadia wrote an essay on periphrasis, using "the house of my aunt" as an example of the pattern.
The phrase "will go" is an example of verbal periphrasis because the future meaning is carried by a separate word.
Yuki's grammar textbook explains that periphrasis is more common in modern English than in Latin.
The comparative form "more friendly" uses periphrasis, while "friendlier" uses a suffix instead.
- analytic construction
the equivalent descriptive term in linguistics; more technical
- grammatical circumlocution
much less common; sometimes used in historical linguistics
- inflection
the use of word endings to express grammatical relationships instead of separate words
文法句型
periphrasis + singular verb
用法筆記
A technical term in linguistics and grammar. Frequently contrasted with inflection (or synthetic form): a single inflected word versus a multi-word analytical structure. Common in discussions of language change over time.