effusive
adjective
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Effusive History Is Overflowing
We've used effusive in English to describe excessive outpourings since the 17th century. In the 1800s, geologists adopted the specific sense related to flowing lava—or to hardened rock formed from flowing lava. Effusive can be traced, via the Medieval Latin adjective effūsīvus ("generating profusely, lavish"), to the Latin verb effundere ("to pour out"), which itself comes from fundere ("to pour") plus a modification of the prefix ex- ("out"). Our verb effuse has the same Latin ancestors. A person effuses when speaking effusively. Liquids can effuse as well, as in "water effusing from a pipe."
Synonyms
Examples of effusive in a Sentence
Lucinda Shen, Axios, 3 Feb. 2025
But others haven’t been as effusive in their comments after meeting with him.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025
When asked about his current boss Canada's flying full-back Alphonso Davies was effusive.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
The committee’s Republican majority was effusive in their praise of Burgum, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who is considered a moderate within the caucus but has been a sharp critic of the Biden administration on energy policy.
—Zack Budryk, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for effusive 
Cite this Entry
“Effusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effusive. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.
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effusive
adjective
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