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- Even though full is usually a positive word, fulsome can have pejorative connotations in phrases like "fulsome praise," where it is often taken to mean “effusive, excessive, or insincere praise.”
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
Nov 3, 2014 · But M-W cautions that the “chief danger for the user of fulsome is ambiguity,” and unless “the context is made very clear, the reader or hearer cannot be sure whether such an expression as ‘fulsome praise’ is meant” in the sense of “abundant” or “excessive.”
Fulsome should not be used to mean “full” or “profuse.” When you want to convey a positive meaning, use a word like profuse, lavish or effusive. Joshua’s parents were effusive in their praise when he obtained a full scholarship to McGill.
May 22, 2016 · In modern usage, “fulsome” has two inconsistent meanings. To some people it means “offensive, overdone,” so “fulsome praise” to them would be disgustingly exaggerated praise. To other people it means “abundant,” and for them “fulsome praise” is glowingly warm praise.
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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Sep 13, 2011 · The chief danger for the user of fulsome is ambiguity. Unless the context is made very clear, the reader or hearer cannot be sure whether such an expression as "fulsome praise" is meant in sense 1b or in sense 4.
