Word: cloying (adjective)

Associations

The word "cloying" describes something that is too sweet, rich, or sentimental to the point that it becomes unpleasant or annoying.

• Food example: A dessert can be cloying if it is too sugary and makes you feel sick after eating.
• Emotion example: A movie or story might be cloying if it is overly sentimental and feels fake or exaggerated.
• Behavior example: Someone’s constant compliments can be cloying if they feel excessive and insincere.

Synonym: "sickly" is a similar word often used to describe overly sweet or sentimental things. The difference is that "cloying" often implies that the sweetness or sentiment is so strong it causes discomfort or boredom, while "sickly" focuses more on the unpleasant taste or feeling.

Substitution

You can replace "cloying" with:

• overly sweet
• sentimental (if about emotions)
• syrupy (for emotions or behavior)
• nauseating (if it causes a strong negative reaction) Each substitution changes the tone slightly. For example, "sentimental" is more neutral, while "nauseating" is stronger and more negative.

Deconstruction

The word "cloying" comes from the verb "cloy," which means to disgust or sicken someone by too much sweetness or sentiment. The suffix "-ing" turns the verb into an adjective describing something that causes this feeling. The root "cloy" likely comes from Old French "cloyer," meaning "to weary or disgust."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when a food or drink was too sweet for you? Would you describe it as cloying?
• Have you ever watched a movie or read a story that felt too emotional or fake? Was it cloying?
• How do you feel when someone gives you too many compliments? Could that be cloying? Why or why not?