fulsome
[ foo l-suh m, fuhl- ]
/ ˈfʊl səm, ˈfʌl- /
adjective
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
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.
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, adjectiveWords nearby fulsome
fulmine,
fulminic,
fulminic acid,
fulminous,
fulness,
fulsome,
fulton,
fulton, robert,
fulvous,
fumadiddle,
fumage
Example sentences from the Web for fulsome
British Dictionary definitions for fulsome
fulsome
/ (ˈfʊlsəm) /
adjective
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
Derived forms of fulsome
fulsomely, adverb fulsomeness, nounusage 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