as in sickening
overly or insincerely flattering
a gushy review of a novel by an author who just happened to be a friend of the critic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gushy
To that end, yes, honeymoon phases are gushy (and self-absorbed).
—
Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 19 June 2024
Anything to keep those gushy feelings on repeat in your body!
—Carina Hsieh, SELF, 30 Jan. 2024
The movie falters here and there, lapsing into sentimentality—with accompanying gushy music—during a wedding scene, and that in-person confrontation between Monk and Sintara happens only because Jefferson has overcomplicated the story’s plot.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 15 Dec. 2023
Her breezy, gushy style could give the sadness of her lyrics a sneaky potency.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for gushy
Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 19 June 2024
Anything to keep those gushy feelings on repeat in your body!
—Carina Hsieh, SELF, 30 Jan. 2024
The movie falters here and there, lapsing into sentimentality—with accompanying gushy music—during a wedding scene, and that in-person confrontation between Monk and Sintara happens only because Jefferson has overcomplicated the story’s plot.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 15 Dec. 2023
Her breezy, gushy style could give the sadness of her lyrics a sneaky potency.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for gushy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gushy
Adjective
-
Winter is coming, and no amount of Narcan can solve this sickening public health crisis.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The injury was so sickening that the CBS broadcast only replayed it once, lest anyone with a weak stomach lose their lunch.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Then blot the stain with a clean, damp cloth, making sure to remove any soapy residue.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Like millions of viewers, Rashad Raisani grew enchanted with Music City through watching the soapy nighttime drama Nashville, which captivated fans during its 2012-2018 run and led to a major tourism boom in Nashville and interest in country music.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
How To Get Rid Of Grease Stains For really oily, greasy stains, start by coating them with a layer of cornstarch or baking soda to soak up some of the grease.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Some milky toners even pull double duty as a moisturizer replacement, which is perfect for those who live in humid climates or anyone with naturally oilier skin.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Eschewing the polished, hagiographic style of many contemporary making-of documentaries, Figgis keeps his footprint small and his perspective immediate.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
-
Years of hagiographic media coverage and his immense social-media reach birthed legions of fanboys and nurtured a cult of personality.—
Franklin Foer,
The Atlantic,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
When coitus occurs, it’s scored by unctuous music.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2025
-
In its equilibrium, a good tomato sandwich is juicy and unctuous and appropriately messy, which is praise all-too-often reserved for hot sandwiches like cheesesteaks or patty melts.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
Though the pilot wasn't picked up, Spinal Tap endured, acting as the primary subject of the first film's sendup of breathlessly adulatory rock biopics like Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
One defense, beginning in the late eighteen-hundreds, was flypaper, sheets of which were coated on one side with an oleaginous substance that lured flies, then permanently trapped them.—
David Owen,
The New Yorker,
27 July 2024
-
Ted Cruz, the perennial front-runner, is smug and oleaginous—hated equally by his colleagues and the public.—
Alex Shephard,
The New Republic,
26 Sep. 2022
Adjective
-
Though deBessonet’s production strips away a lot of the bunting, Ragtime has a stolid and demonstrative core and an educational tone worthy of EPCOT.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Mark shot street protests, Pride marches, and Thanksgiving parades—showing how the city’s diverse cultures and identities are replenished by the demonstrative joy of belonging, and how the city at large is enriched by its variety of communities.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gushy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gushy. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share