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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 result of this muddy history is muddied meanings. Even though full is usually a positive ...
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. In modern usage, however, the word often means copious or abundant without negative connotations. In this use, the word is often embedded in the phrase fulsome praise. This historically has ...
Jul 3, 2024 · Common modern usage tends toward the positive connotation, though some complain about this, and the use of fulsome in the sense of abundant, copious, or mature without contextual prompts may lead to confusion among readers familiar with the negative sense. Conversely, an intended negative connotation may not be understood by some modern readers.
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In contrast to figuratively, the adverb literally means "in a literal or strict sense—word for word." But many speakers have a habit of using the word quite unliterally as an intensifier. Take this example from a speech given by former Vice President Joe Biden: Although most dictionaries recognize the contrary uses of the word, many usage authoriti...
If your boss showers you with "fulsome praise," don't presume that a promotion is in the works. Understood in its traditional sense of "offensively flattering or insincere," fulsome has decidedly negative connotations. But in recent years, fulsomehas picked up the more complimentary meaning of "full," "generous," or "abundant." So is one definition...
If the verb unravel means to unknot, unscramble, or untangle, it's only logical to assume that ravelmust mean the opposite—to tangle or complicate. Right? Well, yes and no. You see, ravel is both an antonym and a synonym for unravel. Derived from the Dutch word for "a loose thread," ravel can mean either to tangle or untangle, to complicate or clar...
Another Janus word is the verb peruse. Since the Middle Ages, peruse has meant to read or examine, usually with great care: perusinga document means studying it carefully. Then a funny thing happened. Some people starting using peruse as a synonym for "skim" or "scan" or "read quickly"—the opposite of its traditional meaning. Most editors still rej...
In this scene from the 1986 film ¡Three Amigos!,the villainous character El Guapo is talking with Jefe, his right-hand man: Regardless of his motive, El Guapo asks a fair question: just what is a plethora? As it turns out, this Greek and Latin hand-me-down is an example of a word that has undergone amelioration—that is, an upgrade in meaning from a...
- Richard Nordquist
Sep 21, 2024 · The term 'fulsome' can be defined in two distinct ways: Excessively flattering or insincere: When 'fulsome' is used to describe praise or compliments that are excessive, exaggerated, or insincere, it indeed carries a negative connotation. In this context, 'fulsome' suggests that the praise is overdone and may not be entirely genuine.
4 meanings: 1. excessive or insincere, esp in an offensive or distasteful way 2. not standard extremely complimentary 3..... Click for more definitions.
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Fulsome definition: Excessively flattering or insincerely earnest. ... The meaning has evolved from an original positive connotation "abundant" to a neutral "plump ...
