fulsomeness means the state or quality of being fulsome or showing overdone and insincere flattery. It carries an Arena rating of 1449, earned across 8 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, fulsomeness ranks #510 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,915 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #3,727 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #4,018 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words.
fulsomeness is pronounced /ˈfʊlsəmnəs/.
Why “fulsomeness” is a great word
The quality of being offensively excessive, insincere, or cloying, especially in praise or flattery. Its etymology is from Middle English *fulsomnesse*, equivalent to fulsome (from Middle English fulsom, from ful 'full' + -som 'characterized by, tending to') + the noun-forming suffix -ness. Unlike effusiveness, which suggests a genuine, unrestrained outpouring, or lavishness, which can denote a neutral or even positive generosity, fulsomeness carries the sour aftertaste of calculation. It is the unctuous smile of a courtier, the cloying perfume that hangs too thick in a closed room, the third helping of praise forced upon a guest who has long since had enough—a performance of abundance that betrays a profound poverty of genuine feeling.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English fulsomnesse; equivalent to fulsome + -ness.
noun
- The state or quality of being fulsome or showing overdone and insincere flattery.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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