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fulsomeness

fulsomeness

9.9
Excessive praise that feels fake and forced
  • noun
  • /ˈfʊlsəmnəs/
translation icon : excesiva adulación
  • The speaker's fulsomeness made it clear that his compliments were not sincere.

Examples

  • Despite the fulsomeness of his remarks, she felt uncomfortable with the way he praised her work.

  • Although All the Things You Are is by no means bland, it is a celebrity biography whose tone is admiring to the point of fulsomeness: "Tony Bennett was, and is, a shooting star."

    Academic text (2011)
  • Her fulsomeness during the award ceremony left many wondering if she truly believed in the winner's talent.

Synonyms

flattery
vsfulsomeness
37 4.7

Praise people give without meaning it to get something from someone

is more overtly self serving and obviously forced in tone
adulation
vsfulsomeness
  • Formal
18 8.4

Too much praise that is not honest and meant to get approval

is more likely to seem forced and self serving
puffery
vsfulsomeness
  • Jargon
2 8.3

Claims that exaggerate product benefits and are not meant literally

is more personal and insincere not only promotional boasting
unction
vsfulsomeness
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Speech or manner that feels false and too eager to please

is more focused on excessive praise that seems forced and self serving
flummery
vsfulsomeness
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Empty praise and ceremony that try to impress without real value

is usually direct excessive praise rather than formal empty ceremony
smarm
vsfulsomeness
  • Informal
1 9.7

Praise that is too much and not sincere to make someone like you

is more about overtly forced praise and self serving intent
smarminess
vsfulsomeness
  • Informal
1 9.2

Too much praise that tries to make people like you

is instead used for praise that feels exaggerated and self serving
oiliness
vsfulsomeness
1 7.6

A smooth, insincere way of talking that tries to please people

is about overt excessive praise especially when it feels forced
cajolery
vsfulsomeness
1 8.4

Gentle praise and kind words used to get someone to do something

is focused on excessive praise itself rather than the act of persuasion
unctuousness
vsfulsomeness
9.9

A false friendliness that tries to please or impress people

is more about excessive praise rather than smooth ingratiating manner
oleaginousness
vsfulsomeness
  • Formal
9.9

Being unpleasantly smooth and too friendly

is focused on praise that feels forced and self serving rather than oily
unctuous compliment
vsfulsomeness
9.3

Praise that is fake and meant to make someone like you or help you

is the broader term covering forced or self serving praise in general
unctuous tone
vsfulsomeness
9.3

A way of speaking that is too friendly and seems not sincere

is a general label for praise that feels forced and self serving
overpraise
vsfulsomeness
7.0

A lot of good things said about someone who does not deserve them

is more about insincere praise that feels forced to gain advantage

Antonyms

3 4.0

The state of being real and sincere

How Flattering

sycophancy
  • Formal
1 9.5
fulsomeness
9.9
flattery
37 4.7
compliment
342 1.6

Surface Forms

fulsomeness singular
fulsomenesses plural

Morphology

fulsomeness = fulsome (semi-transparent) = fulsome + ness

The noun is a regular nominalization of the adjective 'fulsome' using '-ness'; form and derivation are straightforward.

Etymology

Fulsomeness comes from the word fulsome, which originally meant 'full' or 'abundant' and uses the same root as full. Over time fulsome came to describe praise that is 'too full'—so much that it feels forced or 'not sincere', so fulsomeness means excessive or fake praise.