fulsome

adjective

ful·​some ˈfu̇l-səm How to pronounce fulsome (audio)
1
a
: characterized by abundance : copious
describes in fulsome detailG. N. Shuster
fulsome bird life. The feeder overcrowdedMaxine Kumin
b
: generous in amount, extent, or spirit
the passengers were fulsome in praise of the plane's crewDon Oliver
a fulsome victory for the far leftBruce Rothwell
the greetings have been fulsome, the farewells tenderSimon Gray
c
: being full and well developed
she was in generally fulsome, limpid voiceThor Eckert, Jr.
2
: aesthetically, morally, or generally offensive
fulsome lies and nauseous flatteryWilliam Congreve
the devil take thee for a … fulsome rogueGeorge Villiers
3
: exceeding the bounds of good taste : overdone
the fulsome chromium glitter of the escalators dominating the central hallLewis Mumford
4
: excessively complimentary or flattering : effusive
an admiration whose extent I did not express, lest I be thought fulsomeA. J. Liebling
fulsomely adverb
fulsomeness noun
Using Fulsome: Usage Guide

The senses shown above are the chief living senses of fulsome. Sense 2, which was a generalized term of disparagement in the late 17th century, is the least common of these. Fulsome became a point of dispute when sense 1, thought to be obsolete in the 19th century, began to be revived in the 20th. The dispute was exacerbated by the fact that the large dictionaries of the first half of the century missed the beginnings of the revival. Sense 1 has not only been revived but has spread in its application and continues to do so. The chief danger for the user of fulsome is ambiguity. Unless the context is made very clear, the reader or hearer cannot be sure whether such an expression as "fulsome praise" is meant in sense 1b or in sense 4.

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You Don't Need to Get Negative About Fulsome

In the 19th century, fulsome was mostly a literary term used disapprovingly to describe excessive, insincere praise and flattery. This meaning is still current, but since the early 20th century fulsome has been increasingly used with far more positive meanings, among them “abundant, copious” and “full and well developed.” The result is some amount of confusion: a phrase like “fulsome praise” used today without clarifying context may rightly be understood to mean either “abundant praise” or “excessive and obsequious praise.” While some critics object to the pleasanter meanings of fulsome, they are in fact true to the word’s origins: when it was first used in the 14th century fulsome meant “abundant, copious.”

Examples of fulsome in a Sentence

the player's fulsome praise for the coach showed just how hard he was trying to be named captain of the team grateful survivors who were fulsome in their praise of the rescue team
Recent Examples on the Web Each of the twenty noteworthy presenters (a group that included Regina King, Ke Huy Quan, Sally Field, and Matthew McConaughey) addressed one nominee directly, with praise so fulsome and sentimental that the statuettes themselves turned rose gold. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 California For Subscribers Tom Girardi’s epic corruption exposes the secretive world of private judges Aug. 4, 2022 In early 2023, Girardi was indicted in Los Angeles and Illinois on federal fraud charges, triggering a more fulsome — and public — examination of his cognition. Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 The reason for such fulsome praise is down to the warm but detailed sound that the GO link produces. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The prospect of a criminal prosecution offers a more fulsome adjudication. Natalie Kainz, NBC News, 25 Jan. 2024 Legislators overseeing energy policy heap fulsome praise, calling her a welcome disrupter. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2024 Analyze: Perform deep and fulsome analysis into instances of major loss categories through data-mining patterns, anomalies, weaknesses, and at-risk activities to develop actionable intelligence. Jennifer Fagan, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2024 Fans couldn’t have hoped for a more magnificent or fulsome finale. A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 3 Nov. 2023 Neeson, unlike almost any other action star, is a fulsome enough actor to show you Matt’s desperation, the way that this is all weighing on him. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 23 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fulsome.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fulsom copious, cloying, from full + -som -some

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fulsome was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Fulsome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fulsome. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fulsome

adjective
ful·​some ˈfu̇l-səm How to pronounce fulsome (audio)
1
: very full or complete
described in fulsome detail
2
: very or overly flattering
praised the boss in fulsome terms
fulsomely adverb
fulsomeness noun

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