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Full, rich or abundant
- informal full, rich or abundant: a fulsome figure, a fulsome flavour, fulsome detail ˈfulsomely adv ˈfulsomeness n USAGE The use of fulsome to mean extremely complimentary or full, rich or abundant is common in journalism, but should be avoided in other kinds of writing
The word has both positive and negative meanings, so context is key. Fulsome is a troublesome word. And it's also a word that represents the rare case in which dictionaries have made the word’s meaning more confusing rather than more clear.
What does the word fulsome mean? There are 12 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word fulsome , two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Nov 3, 2014 · Today, some standard dictionaries include “abundant” as either a standard or an informal meaning of “fulsome.” The up-to-date Oxford Dictionaries online, for example, defines “fulsome” as either “complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree,” or “of large size or quantity; generous or abundant.”
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 definition: 1. expressing a lot of admiration or praise for someone, often too much, in a way that does not…. Learn more.
Two of the traditional senses of fulsome are (1) offensively, excessively flattering, and (2) excessive in a distasteful way. In both these senses, the adjective is usually negative. A fulsome piece of music, for instance, might be one that is overloud and too busy-sounding.
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Fulsome is an example of a "skunked term," where there is disagreement over conflicting meanings. Compliments usually make you feel pretty good, but fulsome compliments, which are exaggerated and usually insincere, may have the opposite effect.
