cheesiness

A cheesiness in the film made the audience groan.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Quality of resembling cheese: "cheesiness" refers to the state or quality of being cheesy, meaning having the taste, smell, or texture of cheese.
   • Excessive sentimentality or triteness: In informal usage, "cheesiness" denotes something that is overly sentimental, artificial, or lacking in sophistication, often in a way that feels forced or clichéd.
   • Cheap or inferior quality: In slang, especially American English, "cheesiness" can describe something that is cheap, tacky, or of poor quality.

Usage Examples

• Taste or smell:

  • The cheesiness of the pizza was overwhelming, with a strong, pungent aroma. (The characteristic cheese-like quality was very noticeable.)

• Sentimentality or triteness:

  • The movie's cheesiness made it hard to take seriously, with predictable plot twists and saccharine music. (The film was overly sentimental and clichéd.)

• Cheap quality:

  • The plastic trophies had a certain cheesiness about them, looking fake and poorly made. (They seemed cheap and tacky.)

Advanced Usage

• "to have a certain cheesiness": to possess an obvious or deliberate lack of refinement.

  • The decorations had a nostalgic cheesiness that everyone loved. (The decorations were intentionally tacky in a charming way.)

• "over-the-top cheesiness": an extreme degree of sentimentality or artificiality.

  • His speech was full of over-the-top cheesiness, with dramatic pauses and tear-jerking stories. (It was excessively and noticeably sentimental.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cheesy (adj): having the qualities of cheese; or, in informal use, cheap, tacky, or overly sentimental.

  • That joke was so cheesy that nobody laughed. (The joke was trite or forced.)

• Cheese (n): a dairy product; also slang for something cheap or fake.

  • He's always full of cheese — always trying to impress with fake compliments. (He is insincere or overly flattering.)

Synonyms

• Corniness: the quality of being trite or hackneyed, often in a sentimental way.
• Tackiness: the quality of being cheap, gaudy, or in poor taste.
• Sentimentality: excessive emotional appeal, often in a contrived manner.

Related Idioms

• "Cheesy grin": a forced or overly broad smile that seems insincere or exaggerated.

  • He gave a cheesy grin for the camera, but it looked unnatural. (A smile that is too wide and seems fake.)

• "Cheesy pick-up line": a clichéd or awkward attempt to attract romantic interest.

  • "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" is a classic cheesy pick-up line. (A trite and often embarrassing line.)