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- The negative sense "offensive, gross; disgusting, sickening" developed secondarily after the 13th century and was influenced by Middle English foul (“foul”). In the 18th century, the word was sometimes even spelled foulsome.
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/fulsome
Via the sense of "causing nausea" it came to be used of language, "offensive to taste or good manners" (early 15c.); especially "excessively flattering" (1660s). Since the 1960s, however, it commonly has been used in its original, favorable sense, especially in fulsome praise. Related: Fulsomely; fulsomeness.
The result is that fulsome is now used with positive or neutral connotations at least as often as with negative connotations, but many people consider the “copious” meaning to be an error, even though it is the etymologically purest use of the word.
The earliest known use of the word fulsome is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for fulsome is from before 1325, in Genesis & Exodus.
The meaning of FULSOME is characterized by abundance : copious. How to use fulsome in a sentence. You Don't Need to Get Negative About Fulsome Using Fulsome: Usage Guide.
Nov 3, 2014 · Over the centuries, it came to mean overdone, cloying, gross, nauseating, disgusting, loathsome, foul, and so on. In the 18th century, in fact, it was sometimes spelled “foulsome.” Nearly all of those negative senses, the OED says, are now considered obsolete.
Jul 3, 2024 · The negative sense "offensive, gross; disgusting, sickening" developed secondarily after the 13th century and was influenced by Middle English foul (“ foul ”). [1] In the 18th century, the word was sometimes even spelled foulsome .
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The word "fulsome" entered the English language in the mid-17th century from Middle French. It originally referred to something that was abundant or plentiful, such as a meal or a harvest. This sense of the word is still in use today, although it is more commonly used in a figurative sense to describe something that is excessive or overdone.
