Word of the Day

: November 21, 2015

fulsome

adjective FULL-sum

What It Means

1 a : characterized by abundance : copious

b : generous in amount, extent, or spirit

2 : aesthetically, morally, or generally offensive

3 : exceeding the bounds of good taste : overdone

4 : excessively complimentary or flattering : effusive

fulsome in Context

"The magnolia was in fulsome bloom, great waxy cups in dark green saucers pressing against the windows." — Caroline Graham, The Killings at Badger's Drift, 1987

"Consider, in particular, the case of Britain. In 2010, when the new government of Prime Minister David Cameron turned to austerity policies, it received fulsome praise from many people on this side of the Atlantic." — Paul Krugman, The New York Times, 24 Jan. 2013

Did You Know?

One has only to survey the meanings of fulsome—listed above in the order in which they developed—to understand why there is a lot of confusion about exactly what fulsome means. Some critics disapprove of using it in its original "copious" sense because they feel that sense is not negative enough; they say that fulsome should always be at least mildly deprecatory. It's true that today fulsome is often used pejoratively to describe overly effusive language, but modern English writers still sometimes use it simply to mean "abundant," or occasionally even in contexts where it is complimentary. Some writers go to the more negative extreme, using it for things that are offensive to normal tastes or sensibilities. To avoid misinterpretation, either be sure that the context in which you use the word makes the intended meaning clear or choose a different word.