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Effusive
Exhibiting or expressing excessive emotion or praise; demonstrative and unrestrained.
adjective💡
Imagine This
Imagine a host at a party greeting each guest with long embraces, tears of gratitude, and a flood of compliments—an effusive welcome that seems to pour from the host without constraint.
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Sounds Like
ih-FYOO-siv
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Looks Like
Looks like 'effuse' or 'fuse'—the root 'effus-' suggests pouring out.
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Remember This
Originates from Latin effusus ‘poured out,’ from effundere ‘to pour out’; in geology, effusive also describes lava flows that pour onto the surface.
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Other Forms
effusivelyadverb
effusivenessnoun
effuseverb
effusionnoun
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Connect With
gushy, demonstrative, lavish, overflowing, unrestrained
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Note
Often indicates warmth and generosity, but can feel overwhelming; use with care in formal writing. In geology, the term refers to lava flows and is unrelated to emotion.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The host gave an effusive welcome to the visiting dignitaries.
- Her effusive gratitude filled the room as she thanked everyone who helped her.
Synonyms
gushinglavishprofusedemonstrativeexuberant
Antonyms
restrainedunemotionalstoic
Etymology
From Latin effusus ‘poured out’, past participle of effundere ‘to pour out’; via French effusif.
Mnemonic
Think of effusive as emotions poured out: imagine a faucet labeled EMOTION turning on and pouring praise all around; the word literally means 'pouring out' feelings.
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nounThe act of manufacturing or constructing something; or a falsehood or invented story meant to deceive.
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nounThe quality of having a modest view of one’s abilities and achievements; freedom from arrogance.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Demonstrative
adjectiveserving to indicate or point out something; in grammar, relating to how words like this, that, these, and those modify or replace nouns; also used to describe a person who openly expresses emotions
Lavish
adjectiveDescribing something that is extremely generous, luxurious, or elaborate; given or produced in abundant, often excessive, quantities.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
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