fulsome
offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive; overdone or gross: fulsome praise that embarrassed her deeply; fulsome décor.
disgusting; sickening; repulsive: a table heaped with fulsome mounds of greasy foods.
excessively or insincerely lavish: fulsome admiration.
encompassing all aspects; comprehensive: a fulsome survey of the political situation in Central America.
abundant or copious.
Origin of fulsome
1usage note For fulsome
Today, both fulsome and fulsomely are also used in senses closer to the original one: The sparse language of the new Prayer Book contrasts with the fulsome language of Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer. Later they discussed the topic more fulsomely. These uses are often criticized on the grounds that fulsome must always retain its connotations of “excessive” or “offensive.” The common phrase fulsome praise is thus sometimes ambiguous in modern use.
Other words from fulsome
- ful·some·ly, adverb
- ful·some·ness, noun
- un·ful·some, adjective
Words that may be confused with fulsome
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for fulsome
/ (ˈfʊlsəm) /
excessive or insincere, esp in an offensive or distasteful way: fulsome compliments
not standard extremely complimentary
informal full, rich or abundant: a fulsome figure; a fulsome flavour; fulsome detail
archaic disgusting; loathsome
usage For fulsome
Derived forms of fulsome
- fulsomely, adverb
- fulsomeness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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