fulsome

[ fool-suhm, fuhl- ]
See synonyms for: fulsomefulsomelyfulsomeness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive; overdone or gross: fulsome praise that embarrassed her deeply; fulsome décor.

  2. disgusting; sickening; repulsive: a table heaped with fulsome mounds of greasy foods.

  1. excessively or insincerely lavish: fulsome admiration.

  2. encompassing all aspects; comprehensive: a fulsome survey of the political situation in Central America.

  3. abundant or copious.

Origin of fulsome

1
First recorded in 1200–50, fulsome is from the Middle English word fulsom.See full1, -some1

usage note For fulsome

In the 13th century when it was first used, fulsome meant simply “abundant or copious.” It later developed additional senses of “offensive, gross” and “disgusting, sickening,” probably by association with foul, and still later a sense of excessiveness: a fulsome disease; a fulsome meal, replete with too much of everything. For some centuries fulsome was used exclusively, or nearly so, with these unfavorable meanings.
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

Words Nearby fulsome

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fulsome in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fulsome

fulsome

/ (ˈfʊlsəm) /


adjective
  1. excessive or insincere, esp in an offensive or distasteful way: fulsome compliments

  2. not standard extremely complimentary

  1. informal full, rich or abundant: a fulsome figure; a fulsome flavour; fulsome detail

  2. archaic disgusting; loathsome

usage For fulsome

The use of fulsome to mean extremely complimentary or full, rich or abundant is common in journalism, but should be avoided in other kinds of writing

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