VOOZH about

URL: https://www.wordreference.com/definition/fulsome

⇱ fulsome - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

fulsome

UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈfʊlsəm/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈfʊlsəm, ˈfʌl-/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(fŏŏl′səm, ful′-)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ful•some /ˈfʊlsəm, ˈfʌl-/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. offensive to good taste;
    overdone:fulsome décor.
  2. excessively or insincerely lavish:fulsome praise.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ful•some  (fŏŏl′səm, ful′-),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. offensive to good taste, esp. 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.
  3. excessively or insincerely lavish:fulsome admiration.
  4. encompassing all aspects;
    comprehensive:a fulsome survey of the political situation in Central America.
  5. abundant or copious.
  • Middle English fulsom. See full1, -some1 1200–50
ful′some•ly, adv. 
ful′some•ness, n. 
    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.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
fulsome /ˈfʊlsəm/ adj
  1. excessive or insincere, esp in an offensive or distasteful way: fulsome compliments
  2. not standard extremely complimentary
  3. informal full, rich, or abundant: a fulsome figure, a fulsome flavour, fulsome detail
ˈfulsomely adv ˈfulsomeness n USAGE
'fulsome' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!
Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.
Firefox users: use search shortcuts for the fastest search of WordReference.
Copyright © 2026 WordReference.com
Please report any problems.