Word of the Day Archive
Tuesday October 12, 2004
effusive \ih-FYOO-siv\ , adjective:
Excessively demonstrative; giving or involving extravagant or excessive emotional expression; gushing.
His speeches are embarrassingly effusive; treacle drips from their pages: "I yield to none in my admiration for our teachers, doctors, nurses and police . . . Our public servants are the best in the world, and when given the leadership and investment they need, they achieve world-class standards."
-- Mary Ann Sieghart, "Blair lays bare his iron fist for change", Times (London), June 1, 2001
The effusive praise of critics has no doubt bolstered Beowulf's popularity.
-- Brendan I. Koerner, "Required reading", U.S. News, March 20, 2000
This rectitude, even severity, was also a roundabout way of showing his affection and his generosity, for he was altogether incapable of indulging in effusive sentimentality.
-- Patrice Debré, Louis Pasteur (translated by Elborg Forster)
Effusive, at root meaning "pouring out," comes from Latin effusus, past participle of effundere, "to pour out," from ex-, "out" + fundere, "to pour."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for effusive
