# fulsome

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈfʊlsəm/ · frequency rank #79,528

## Definitions
1. Offensive to good taste, tactless, overzealous, excessive.
2. Excessively flattering (connoting insincerity).
3. Characterised or marked by fullness; abundant, copious.
4. Fully developed; mature.

## Etymology
From Middle English fulsom, equivalent to full + -some. The meaning has evolved from an original positive connotation "abundant" to a neutral "plump" to a negative "overfed". In modern usage, it can take on any of these inflections. See usage note.
The negative sense "offensive, gross; disgusting, sickening" developed secondarily after the 13th century and was influenced by Middle English foul (“foul”). In the 18th century, the word was sometimes even spelled foulsome.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fulsome