Cloying: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when something excessively sweet, rich, or sentimental becomes unpleasant or overwhelming.

• The cloying smell of perfume filled the room, making it hard to breathe.
• Her cloying compliments felt insincere and over the top.

Describes something that is so sweet or sentimental it becomes unpleasant or unsettling.

• The sickly sweet taste of the dessert was too much to handle.
• Her sickly sweet voice struck everyone as quite artificial.

Appropriate for situations where emotions are expressed in an exaggerated or excessive manner, often in a way that feels insincere or overly dramatic.

• The speech was overly sentimental and didn't feel genuine.
• His overly sentimental reaction to the movie made some people uncomfortable.

Used to describe something that causes a feeling of disgust or makes you want to vomit.

• The nauseating smell of rotten food made everyone leave the room.
• The movie scenes were so gruesome that they were downright nauseating.

Used to describe something that is excessively sweet or sentimental, in a way that becomes unpleasant and overwhelming.

• The cloying smell of the overly sweet candles was too much for me.
• Her cloying affection made him feel uncomfortable.

Used to describe something that is artificially sweet, both in taste and sentiment, often used with a negative connotation.

• The movie was filled with saccharine scenes that felt unrealistic.
• Her saccharine smile was obviously fake.

Applies to something that is so strong or intense that it overwhelms the senses or emotions. Can be used negatively or positively.

• The scent of the flowers was overpowering, making it hard to breathe.
• His overpowering presence filled the room.

Describes something that causes nausea or an extremely unpleasant feeling, generally used negatively.

• The sickening smell of rotten food made me want to vomit.
• The sight of the accident was truly sickening.