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Glite Dictionary
📢 Extreme demands 🎨 Decorative excess
maximalism

maximalism

8.2
A style that uses bold colors, rich patterns, and many details
  • noun
  • /ˈmæksɪməlɪzəm/
translation icon : maximalismo
  • Perhaps "The Cantos," at roughly twenty-three thousand lines, offers the best prefiguration of contemporary maximalism.

Examples

  • The living room was designed with maximalism in mind, featuring an array of decorative pieces and rich textures.

  • I'm a sucker for maximalism.

    Blog text (13)

  • It's just so sparkly and beautiful and this practicing maximalism here, You know what?

  • It is peak phone maximalism.

    Blog text (13)

  • Like he's one of the few guys who has pulled off a pure combination of minimalism and maximalism in what he does.

  • The artist's work is a stunning example of maximalism, filled with vibrant colors and intricate patterns.

  • In fashion, maximalism is characterized by bold prints and layers, creating a dramatic look.

Synonyms

floridness
vsmaximalism
  • Formal
8.9

The use of very fancy, detailed language or style that feels too much

emphasizes excess and complexity deliberately across overall style
elaborateness
vsmaximalism
7.2

Careful, detailed work that has many small parts or decorations

focuses on excess and detailed ornament rather than plain design
intricateness
vsmaximalism
8.3

The quality of being very complex with many small parts

highlights overall excess and ornament beyond mere complexity
complexness
vsmaximalism
7.1

Having many parts or details that are hard to understand

adds an aesthetic of excess and decorative detail beyond pure complication

Antonyms

minimalism
5 6.5

A style in painting, sculpture, and design using very simple shapes and few colors

How Ornate

maximalism
8.2
baroque
6 8.1
restraint
6 4.2
minimalism
5 6.5

Surface Forms

maximalism singular
maximalisms plural

Morphology

maximalism = maximal (transparent) = maximal + ism

The suffix '-ism' is transparently added to 'maximal' to denote a style or approach.

Etymology

Maximalism comes from maximum meaning 'greatest' and the ending -ism meaning a 'style' or 'way'. So maximalism in art and design is a 'more is more' approach that favours rich detail and bold excess instead of simple looks.