辞藻 (cí zǎo) — flowery language, ornate diction (often in literary writing)

Definition

Refers to ornate, decorative word choices in writing — often carries a negative tone of being showy over substantive. Common in literary criticism where empty 辞藻 is faulted for hollow content.

noun
flowery languageornate diction (often in literary writing)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 辞藻，。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng suī rán yòng le hěn duō cí zǎo, dàn nèi róng kōng dòng.
    Although this article uses a lot of flowery language, its content is hollow.
  • 辞藻，。
    Tā xiě shī jiǎng jiu cí zǎo, zhuī qiú yīn yùn zhī měi.
    He pays great attention to ornate diction when writing poetry, pursuing the beauty of rhythm.
  • 辞藻，。
    Yǎn jiǎng zhě duī qì cí zǎo, fǎn ér ràng tīng zhòng jué de bù zhēn chéng.
    The speaker piled up flowery language, which instead made the audience feel insincere.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

辞cíwords
藻zǎoornament

辞 gives words and 藻 gives elegant ornament; together they picture flowery language.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 辞 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
澡
澡zǎo藻zǎo
Same sound today

藻 is built from 艹, a grass sign, placed over 澡, which provides the sound zǎo.

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