effuse

verb

i-ˈfyüz How to pronounce effuse (audio)
Definition of effusenext
as in to drool
to make an exaggerated display of affection or enthusiasm pundits who should have known better effused endlessly about this idealistic but naive senator

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 effuse On Thursday afternoon at the Revolution Training Center, Turner addressed the impending roster announcement with poise, effusing praise on the chance to represent his country on the world stage once again and defusing any sort of goalkeeper debate. — Julian Cardillo, Boston Herald, 22 May 2026 Afterwards, Nick Cushing, then the NYCFC head coach, effused his creative midfielder. — Michael Lewis, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025 The enigmatic trophy wife at the center, Michaela, is played not by Nicole Kidman—as is, at this point, stylistic tradition—but by Julianne Moore, effusing lavender mist and toxic insecurity. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 24 May 2025 As if the sun had decided freckles were simply too mundane for someone like him, his skin seemed to be effused with golden flecks. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2024 Even though executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias doesn’t want to effuse any notes of panic, the Orioles fit the mold of an aggressive deadline buyer. — Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun, 22 June 2024 Noxious volcanic gases may also be a problem—in particular, sulfur dioxide, which effuses from shallow magma. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2024 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton effused that Gaddafi’s ouster and death marked smart diplomacy at its best. — Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 2 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effuse
  1. drool
  2. rave
  3. gush
  4. enthuse
Verb
  • Stuff like Caitlin Clark getting mugged with no foul being called, or Sophie Cunningham pointing at some obnoxious player, or ESPN drooling over a coach wearing a pro-trans shirt.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Video released by the Milwaukie Police Department shows Descamps sprawled in a hospital bed, his body limp, moaning and drooling, while medical staff stood nearby.
    — Brian Mann, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of drool
Verb
  • My mom raves about Vuori loungewear, and there’s currently a pair of the brand’s airy, feather-soft wide-leg pants on sale for 25 percent off.
    — Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Endless football, someone raving about artichoke dip, young parents discussing nap schedules.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of rave
Verb
  • Meyers, an almost parodic vision of an old soul, gushes praise in unfashionably complete sentences.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Fans who gush over the next big thing too often forget that many young hotshots turn out to be something less.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of gush
Verb
  • In an exclusive interview with WWD, the businessman enthused about the future of the Italian e-tailer and its current CEO.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 July 2026
  • Shortly after the nurses’ strike, the CEO of the NYC Health and Hospitals, the largest city healthcare system in the US, openly enthused about replacing radiologists with AI.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026
Definition of enthuse

Browse Nearby Words

effulgent
effuse
effused
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Effuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effuse. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All