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- And evidence shows that by the 19th century fulsome was established as a literary term chiefly expressing disapproval of excessive and obsequious praise and flattery—that is, exactly as Webster had defined it.
www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/fulsome
Dec 12, 2019 · It sometimes referred to things that were morally reprehensible – full of wickedness – as when a 15th-century manuscript described King Arthur battling “the fulsomest freak that was ever formed,” a...
- Melissa Mohr
Is 'fulsome praise' really praiseworthy? This article explores the complex history and evolving meanings of 'fulsome,' revealing how its original sense of 'copious' has re-emerged, creating confusion and conflicting interpretations.
In the 19th century, fulsome was mostly a literary term used disapprovingly to describe excessive, insincere praise and flattery. This meaning is still current, but since the early 20th century fulsome has been increasingly used with far more positive meanings, among them “abundant, copious” and “full and well developed.”
expressing a lot of admiration or praise for someone, often too much, in a way that does not sound sincere: fulsome praise Her new book has received fulsome praise from the critics. fulsome in Our guests were fulsome in their compliments about the food. Synonyms.
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.
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.
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fulsome. (fʊlsəm ) adjective. If you describe expressions of praise, apology, or gratitude as fulsome, you disapprove of them because they are exaggerated and elaborate, so that they sound insincere. [disapproval] Newspapers have been fulsome in their praise of the former president.
