Skip to content
GREMockTests
GRE vocabulary

fulsome

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore F words

excessive and insincere, especially in flattery or praise

Word origin: From Middle English ful, full, plus -some.

In a sentence

Fulsome in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing fulsome in a sentence.

His fulsome praise of the host seemed calculated rather than genuine.

His fulsome tribute to the chairman struck the board as transparent careerism rather than genuine respect.

Synonyms
Antonyms
sincererestrainedmeasured
Usage & nuance

Using “fulsome” well

Properly, fulsome means so excessive as to be distasteful or insincere, especially of praise, despite a growing misuse to mean abundant. The GRE tests the disapproving sense, so do not read it as a compliment.

Common questions

Questions about “fulsome

Fulsome (adjective) means excessive and insincere, especially in flattery or praise
Here is fulsome used in an example sentence: "His fulsome praise of the host seemed calculated rather than genuine." Another example: "His fulsome tribute to the chairman struck the board as transparent careerism rather than genuine respect."
Common synonyms for fulsome include excessive, cloying, unctuous.
Antonyms of fulsome include sincere, restrained, measured.
Clusters with cloying and unctuous, opposed by sincere, restrained, and measured. The trap is the mistaken sense of full or generous; antonyms like measured confirm the meaning of excessive insincerity.
Yes. Fulsome is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

Learn words the way the GRE tests them.

Vocabulary sticks when you meet it in real sentences. Practise these words inside text completion and sentence equivalence questions.