fulsomeness
/'fulsəmnis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- Excessive and insincere praise or flattery: Refers to compliments that are overly elaborate, exaggerated, and often given with an affected or false manner.
- Offensive or disgusting excessiveness: Can describe something that is so excessive it becomes distasteful, nauseating, or morally repugnant.
Usage and Examples
- Noun:
- The fulsomeness of his compliments made her uncomfortable; she could tell he was not being genuine.
- The biography was criticized for its fulsomeness, as it ignored the subject's flaws entirely.
- There was a fulsomeness to the ceremony that many found off-putting and insincere.
Advanced Usage
- "with fulsomeness": in an excessively flattering or offensively elaborate manner.
- He described his boss's achievements with fulsomeness, hoping for a promotion.
- "the fulsomeness of": used to highlight the excessive, often sickening, nature of something.
- She was repelled by the fulsomeness of the propaganda.
Variants and Related Words
- Fulsome (adjective): Excessively flattering or offensive due to excess.
- His fulsome praise was embarrassing.
- Unctuousness (noun): A related quality of being excessively smooth, greasy, or insincerely flattering.
- The salesman's unctuousness was a clear attempt to win her over.
Synonyms
- Servility: Excessive willingness to serve or please others.
- Obesquiousness: Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
- Adulation: Excessive admiration or praise.
- Cloyingness: Overly sweet or sentimental to the point of being distasteful.
Antonyms
- Restraint: Moderation or self-control.
- Candor: The quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness.
- Understatement: The presentation of something as being smaller or less important than it actually is.
Notes on Meaning
- Primary Connotation: The word "fulsomeness" carries a strongly negative connotation. It does not simply mean "a lot of praise"; it specifically implies that the praise is insincere, exaggerated, and often intended to manipulate or ingratiate.
- Historical Shift: The adjective "fulsome" originally meant "abundant" or "copious," but its modern usage almost exclusively carries the negative sense of "excessive and insincere." "Fulsomeness" inherits this modern negative meaning.
Noun
- smug self-serving earnestness
- excessive but superficial compliments given with affected charm