cloying

American  

[kloi-ing] / ˈklɔɪ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing or tending to cause disgust or aversion through excess.

   a perfume of cloying sweetness.

2. overly ingratiating or sentimental.

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cloying British  

/ ˈklɔɪɪŋ /

adjective

1. initially pleasurable or sweet but wearying in excess

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Other Word Forms

• cloyingly
  adverb
• uncloying
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cloying

First recorded in 1540–50; cloy + -ing ²

Explanation

If you’re a cynic who favors dark, edgy humor and thrillers, you probably find romantic comedies with their hearts, flowers, and sappy happy endings cloying — so sweet and sentimental that they make you want to retch. Whether you’re talking about dessert wine or love notes, cloying means sickeningly sweet. It’s how folks who love espresso feel about Frappuccino. Cloying comes in handy to describe things that are too sweet both literally. "Don’t worry about him trying to kiss you; your cloying perfume is sure to keep him at arm’s length." Or figuratively. "Your incessant flattery and cloying way of hanging on my every word was charming at first, but now I wish you’d go away."

Related Words

• gooey
• saccharine
• sappy
• sentimental
• sugary
• syrupy