palsy-walsy
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˈpɔlziˈwɔlzi/
- Archaic
:
familiar
- She gave me a palsy-walsy smile.
Examples
-
They acted palsy-walsy at the meeting, but I'm not sure they even like each other.
-
She was being palsy-walsy with the new manager, trying to impress him with her friendliness.
-
His palsy-walsy manner makes him seem insincere to some colleagues.
-
She suddenly became all palsy-walsy when she realized he was famous.
-
His palsy-walsy attitude made me uncomfortable.
-
The politicians acted all palsy-walsy at the event, but many felt it was insincere.
-
His palsy-walsy demeanor made it hard to tell if he was genuinely interested in the discussion.
Synonyms
23
5.2
Friendly in a relaxed way like a close friend
12
7.9
Openly showing too much emotion and physical closeness that makes others uncomfortable
5
8.0
Acting overly friendly in a way that seems fake or inappropriate
5
8.3
Being very loving and sweet in a way that feels too romantic
1
8.0
Acting overly loving but not sincere
Too friendly in a way that makes you seem like a close friend
Too sentimental and not sincere
Friendly in a way that feels like you are close friends
Antonyms
How Familiar
Surface Forms
Etymology
Palsy-walsy comes from the simple word pal ('friend') being turned into a rhyming, sing-song pair to sound very close and playful. That repeated, showy form makes the friendliness feel a bit fake, so palsy-walsy means overly friendly or insincere.