Flowery language uses fancy, elaborate words and phrases when simpler ones would work better. When someone writes in a flowery style, they pile on adjectives, use complicated vocabulary, and add extra decoration to their sentences, like frosting a cake with so many swirls and flourishes that you can barely see the cake underneath.

Imagine a friend asking about your weekend, and instead of saying “I had fun at the park,” you respond: “I experienced the most tremendously magnificent and gloriously delightful afternoon in the verdant splendor of nature's gorgeous embrace.” That's flowery language. It sounds impressive at first, but it actually makes your meaning harder to understand.

The word comes from the idea of decorating something with flowers, adding beauty but also covering up what's underneath. While a few carefully chosen descriptive words can make writing more interesting and vivid, flowery writing overdoes it. Good writers think about when to use vivid description and when to be direct and clear. If your teacher comments that your essay is too flowery, she's suggesting you cut back on the fancy language and focus on expressing your ideas clearly.