effusive

/ɪˈfjuːsɪv/

//ɪˈfjuːsɪv// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"effusive" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“effusive” is uncommon English (frequency #56,083 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,083
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Gushy; unrestrained, extravagant or excessive (in emotional expression).

Corpus desk

Index EN-effusive · effusive · English

effusive · rank #56,083 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #56,083
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH ecliptic

Nearest frequency peer: ecliptic (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “effusive”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “effusive” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for effusive
PropertyValue
Headwordeffusive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪˈfjuːsɪv/
Letters8
Frequency rank#56,083
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “effusive” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).effusivefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “ecliptic” (#56,082), “egging” (#56,084), “Ekiti” (#56,085). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “effusive” is #56,083. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

effusive is uncommon English at frequency #56,083 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɪˈfjuːsɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for effusive in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Medieval Latin effūsīvus, 1660s. The correct English form is effusive, spelled E-F-F-U-S-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gushy; unrestrained, extravagant or excessive (in emotional expression).
  2. 2
    Pouring, spilling out freely; overflowing.
  3. 3
    Extrusive; having solidified after being poured out as molten lava.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how effusive appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. effusive praise
  2. All week I’ve found myself doing everything I can to distance myself in the crew’s eyes from the bovine herd I’m part of, to somehow unimplicate myself: I eschew cameras and sunglasses and pastel Caribbeanwear; I make a big deal of carrying my own cafeteria tray and am effusive in my thanks for the slightest service.

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin effūsīvus, 1660s.

This word in other languages

comunicativo(Español)expansif(Français)überschwänglich(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "effusive"?
"effusive" is spelled E-F-F-U-S-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈfjuːsɪv/.
What does "effusive" mean?
As an adjective, "effusive" means: Gushy; unrestrained, extravagant or excessive (in emotional expression).
How do you pronounce "effusive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "effusive" is /ɪˈfjuːsɪv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "effusive"?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin effūsīvus, 1660s. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "effusive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ecliptic#56,082disunity#56,073deviance#56,063feldspar#56,116

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list