Finesentence mobile logo
Sign in Login / Register

Cloy Meaning: Definition, Examples, and Translations

๐Ÿ˜’
Add to dictionary

cloy

[klษ”ษช ]

Definition

Context #1 | Verb

to become uninteresting or distasteful due to excess

To cloy is to become uninteresting or distasteful due to excess. It is often used to describe the feeling of being tired of something because you have had too much of it.

Synonyms

pall, sate, satiate.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

arrow down
Word Description / Examples
cloy

Use when something is excessively sweet or sentimental to the point of being unpleasant.

  • The overly romantic movie started to cloy after the first hour
  • The dessert was so rich that after a few bites, it began to cloy
sate

Best used when referring to satisfying hunger or thirst completely.

  • After the long hike, the large meal completely sated his hunger
  • She was finally sated after drinking a big glass of cold water
satiate

Suitable for describing fulfilling a need or desire to the fullest, sometimes with a hint of excess.

  • The lavish dinner was enough to satiate even the most ravenous appetites
  • He read books endlessly, in an attempt to satiate his thirst for knowledge
pall

Appropriate when something becomes boring or uninteresting after a while.

  • The excitement of the new job began to pall after the third month
  • The initial enthusiasm for the project palls quickly when the hard work begins

Examples of usage

  • Her love for chocolate began to cloy after eating it every day for a month.
  • The constant repetition of the same jokes began to cloy on the audience.
  • The sweetness of the dessert cloyed on his palate after the third serving.

Translations

To see the translation, please select a language from the options available.

Interesting Facts

Literature

  • Cloy is often used in poetry and prose to describe overly sentimental or sweet situations that provoke discomfort.
  • In literature, characters might 'cloy' their emotions when they experience excessive love, leading to a bittersweet outcome.
  • Famous writers like Jane Austen explored themes of excess in relationships, often hinting at the cloying nature of idealistic love.

Psychology

  • Experiencing too much of something pleasurable can lead to a negative reaction, a phenomenon sometimes termed 'hedonic adaptation'.
  • Psychologists believe that just like with food, too much happiness or joy can lessen its impact, making it feel cloying.
  • Savoring smaller doses of joyful experiences helps maintain their positive effects rather than becoming overwhelming.

Gastronomy

  • In culinary terms, a dish can 'cloy' if it has an overabundance of sweet ingredients, leading to an unpleasant eating experience.
  • Certain desserts, especially those heavy in syrup or cream, are known to cloy if consumed in large quantities.
  • Cooking styles vary in balancing sweetness; Asian cuisines may use meat with sweet sauces, showcasing how cloying flavors can be avoided.

Pop Culture

  • In movies, characters may be designed to be annoyingly sweet or cheerful, with their 'cloying' nature often serving as a source of comedy.
  • Reality TV shows sometimes highlight 'cloying' personalities who try too hard to be lovable, creating humorous or cringeworthy moments.
  • The term is often used in music lyrics to describe relationships that feel overly sweet or sentimental, becoming tiresome.

Origin of 'cloy'

Main points about word origin

  • The word comes from the Old English 'clลgian', which meant to stick or adhere, emphasizing how something can stick in your mouth.
  • Cloy first appeared in usage during the 15th century, mainly related to sweet flavors that could overwhelm the palate.
  • It originally referred to an excess that causes nausea, retaining that meaning in modern language.

The word 'cloy' originated from Middle English 'cloi(en)', from Old French 'cloi(r)', meaning to 'nail up, block, obstruct'. Over time, the meaning evolved to its current usage of becoming uninteresting or distasteful due to excess. The concept of being cloyed by excess can be traced back to the idea of overwhelming or saturating one's senses or desires.

See also: cloying.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #37,007, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.