effusive
Americanadjective
-
unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve.
effusive greetings; an effusive person.
-
pouring out; overflowing.
-
Geology. extrusive.
adjective
-
extravagantly demonstrative of emotion; gushing
-
(of rock) formed by the solidification of magma
Other Word Forms
- effusively adverb
- effusiveness noun
- noneffusive adjective
- noneffusively adverb
- noneffusiveness noun
- overeffusive adjective
- overeffusively adverb
- overeffusiveness noun
- uneffusive adjective
- uneffusively adverb
- uneffusiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of effusive
Explanation
Getting a compliment from your effusive Aunt Sally can be a little embarrassing. Since she's so effusive, Aunt Sally holds nothing back, gushing with enthusiasm. The adjective effusive means "extravagantly demonstrative," and if you know someone who expresses positive emotions in a heartfelt, bubbly way, you understand just what the word means. The word effusive has a surprisingly similar definition in geology; it describes a particular kind of volcanic eruption, one in which lava bubbles up out of the volcano and flows around it.
Vocabulary lists containing effusive
ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 8
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bond markets aren’t nearly as effusive, however, and that could be a crucial factor in establishing the rally’s longevity as the unofficial start of the first-quarter earnings season begins next week.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Top Iranian politicians — the president, foreign minister and parliament speaker — sent effusive congratulations to Khamenei.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026
Senior Barstool producer TJ Hitchings was effusive about the city’s iconic Tonga Room, calling it “the best bar I’ve ever been to in my life.”
From Salon • Feb. 10, 2026
Bernstein’s Stacy Rasgon was less effusive, calling the results “decent.”
From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026
She wrote a quick effusive thank-you note and gave it to the driver; if Ezeka had done this to further show how superior he was, it did not dampen her pleasure.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
