fulsome (2009-09-13)

Part of Speech: adjective

Pronunciation: ['fêl-sêm]

Definition: (1) Abundant, plentiful, copious (as a fulsome meal or harvest) hence, of a body, overly plump, fat and, perhaps, repugnantly so. (2) Exceeding the bounds of good taste, excessive in flattery and hence offensive, repugnant, repulsive in general.

Usage: Since the pejorative sense of this word is so powerful, you should be careful using it alone: "His rather fulsome description of his honeymoon at dinner made swallowing difficult." To be safe, add a qualifier such as, "She was a fulsome lass in the positive sense of the word." If the context is not ambiguous, qualifiers are not necessary: "A fulsome light from the new spring sun brought unexpected warmth to the room."

Suggested Usage: This is a word with two widely disparate meanings, one positive, and the other negative. Moreover, the derivation from "full" is misleading in the latter case. For this reason it must be used with the utmost care. A "fulsome meal" could be large meal, a repugnant one, or both—a repugnantly large meal.

Etymology: Derivation from "full" via the suffix "-some" (awesome, frolicsome, and handsome). The root, "full," derives from the PIE root *pel-/*pol- which also developed into Russian "polnyi," Sanskrit "purna," and Latin "plenus"—all meaning "full." It is also found in Greek plethos "multitude" whence the English "plethora." There may have been a Middle English word fulsum (ful = "foul") that coalesced with "fulsome" but no written evidence of it has been found.