Standard Lemma guide

ekphrasis

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈɛkfɹəsɪs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A clear, intense, self-contained argument or verbal description of an object, especially of an artwork.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, rhetoric, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἔκφρασις (ékphrasis, “description”), from ἐκφράζω (ekphrázō, “I describe”), from ἐκ (ek, “out, ex-”) + φράζω (phrázō, “I explain, point out”).

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: ekfráze — description of an object or artwork
  • Danish: ekfrase — description of an object or artwork
  • Finnish: ekfrasis — description of an object or artwork
  • French: ekphrasis — description of an object or artwork
  • German: Ekphrasis — description of an object or artwork
  • Hebrew: אקפראסיס (ekfrasis) — description of an object or artwork
  • Italian: ecfrasi — description of an object or artwork
  • Polish: ekfraza — description of an object or artwork
  • Russian: экфрасис (ekfrasis) — description of an object or artwork
  • Spanish: écfrasis — description of an object or artwork
  • Swedish: ekfras — description of an object or artwork