cloying
/ˈklɔɪ.ɪŋ/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Too sweet, heavy, or sentimental in a way that starts to feel unpleasant. It can describe taste, smell, writing, or behavior.
- The dessert was rich, almost cloying.
- Her praise felt cloying after a while.
- The movie's romance became cloying.
Adinary Nuance
Cloying is stronger than just 'sweet' or 'pleasant.' It suggests something becomes too much and starts to annoy, sicken, or bore you. Writers often choose it instead of 'overly sweet' when they want a sharper, more negative feeling.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- ngọt gắt
- Spanish
- empalagoso
- Chinese
- 甜腻的
- Japanese
- くどい
- Korean
- 느끼한
Etymology
Cloying comes from the verb cloy, which entered English in the late Middle Ages from Old French cloer, meaning 'to nail' or 'fasten.' The meaning later changed to 'fill too full,' then to 'become sickening.'
Common phrases
cloying sweetnesscloying perfumecloying sentimentalitycloying praise
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is cloying a positive or negative word?
- It is usually negative. It means something feels too sweet, too much, or unpleasantly sentimental.
- What is the difference between cloying and sweet?
- Sweet can be neutral or positive. Cloying means the sweetness is excessive and becomes annoying.
- Can I use cloying for smells and music?
- Yes. It can describe taste, smell, writing, and sometimes music or speech.
- Is cloying formal?
- It is fairly formal and often appears in writing, reviews, and criticism.