Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [foo l-suh m, fuhl-]
- /ˈfʊl səm, ˈfʌl-/
- /ˈfʊl.səm/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [foo l-suh m, fuhl-]
- /ˈfʊl səm, ˈfʌl-/
Definitions of fulsome word
- adjective fulsome offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive; overdone or gross: fulsome praise that embarrassed her deeply; fulsome décor. 1
- adjective fulsome disgusting; sickening; repulsive: a table heaped with fulsome mounds of greasy foods. 1
- adjective fulsome excessively or insincerely lavish: fulsome admiration. 1
- adjective fulsome encompassing all aspects; comprehensive: a fulsome survey of the political situation in Central America. 1
- adjective fulsome abundant or copious. 1
- noun 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. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of fulsome
First appearance:
before 1200 One of the 9% oldest English words
First recorded in 1200-50, fulsome is from the Middle English word fulsom. See full1, -some1
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Fulsome
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
fulsome popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 77% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.
fulsome usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for fulsome
adj fulsome
- bombastic — If you describe someone as bombastic, you are criticizing them for trying to impress other people by saying things that sound impressive but have little meaning.
- buttery — Buttery food contains butter or is covered with butter.
- canting — insincere; hypocritical
- cloying — You use cloying to describe something that you find unpleasant because it is much too sweet, or too sentimental.
- coarse — Coarse things have a rough texture because they consist of thick threads or large pieces.
adjective fulsome
- excessive — More than is necessary, normal, or desirable; immoderate.
- effusive — unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve: effusive greetings; an effusive person.
- overgenerous — liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish: a generous patron of the arts; a generous gift.
- lavish — expended, bestowed, or occurring in profusion: lavish spending.
- extravagant — Lacking restraint in spending money or using resources.
Antonyms for fulsome
adj fulsome
- sincere — free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness; earnest: a sincere apology.
- reasonable — agreeable to reason or sound judgment; logical: a reasonable choice for chairman.
Top questions with fulsome
- what is fulsome?
- what does fulsome mean?
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with f
- Words starting with fu
- Words starting with ful
- Words starting with fuls
- Words starting with fulso
- Words starting with fulsom
- Words starting with fulsome