GUSHY Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

gushy

adjective

ˈgə-shē

Definition of gushy

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

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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 There’s no better time to embrace the mushy gushy than in the first few moments after winning gold medals together. — Meg Linehan, The Athletic, 10 Aug. 2024 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 See All Example Sentences for gushy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gushy

Adjective

That is one of the most shocking moments of the series, apart from some of the twists and turns towards the end, and probably the most sickening.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Everyone felt the sickening harsh reality that this had happened on our sovereign soil and that it was meant to be an affront to everyone who felt pride in being an American.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of sickening

Adjective

Any items or surfaces that may have come into contact with the eggs should be washed and sanitized using hot, soapy water or a dishwasher.

— Amber Brenza, HEALTH, 15 Sep. 2026
Yamamoto’s story — and the TV adaptations overseen by Osamu Dezaki, a Swiss Army–knife anime director known for bringing action, sports, and soapy high-school melodrama to life onscreen — spends a huge chunk of time on Hiromi’s insecurities.

— Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of soapy

Adjective

Though mighty hagiographic, McPhee’s ability to break down a player’s gifts makes a poetic case for the game.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 18 June 2026
While these celebrity docs are hagiographic and formulaic, the interviews with Nadal and family and rivals like Federer and Novak Djokovic do push beyond the surface.

— Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026

Definition of hagiographic

Adjective

The pastry is a light and airy conveyance to the unctuous, creamy foie within, while the crackly layer of flour, sugar, and butter that crowns each treat lands a contrasting crunch.

— The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
Played with unctuous authority by the multilingual Danish performer Claes Bang, Kersten claims to have used his influence to obtain the freedom of thousands of concentration camp prisoners, and is obsessed with winning a Nobel Prize.

— Alissa Simon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of unctuous

Adjective

Besides being a record of events, the work is a crafty portrayal of kingship, presenting Akbar in an adulatory tone, as an exemplary and divinely favored ruler.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Reggie’s solution is to hire Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe), an Oscar-winning documentarian, to make an adulatory film about him, changing public perception and opening new doors.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 18 Jan. 2026

Definition of adulatory

Adjective

Underwood walked out of the locker room and down the tunnel for last week's prime-time kickoff with a music and light show during his energetic entrance, slapping his helmet and pumping his right fist in a demonstrative display of emotion.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Jaissle offers on-field leadership of sorts with his demonstrative approach on the touchline.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of demonstrative

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

Definition of oleaginous

Browse Nearby Words

gushing

gushy

gussied up

See all Nearby Words

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“Gushy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gushy. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of gushy

adjective

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