Definition

Something that is overly sweet or sentimental, to the point of being unpleasant or distasteful.

Example

The dessert was so cloying that I could only eat a few bites before feeling sick.

Comparatives & Superlatives

Conversation

Have you tried that new dessert place downtown?

I did! Some of the sweets were a bit too cloying for my taste.

Yeah, I felt the same way about the chocolate cake.

Right? It was good, but I couldn't finish it because it was overly sweet.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Definition

To cause someone to feel disgusted or tired by being too sweet, rich, or sentimental.

Example

The dessert was so cloying that I could only eat a few bites before feeling sick.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Did you find that dessert a bit cloying?

Yeah, it was too sweet for my taste.

I prefer something less cloying and more balanced.

Root Explanation

Cloying → It is formed from 'cloy' (from Old French *cloier*, meaning to satiate or to fill) and the suffix '-ing' (indicating the action or process). The word 'cloying' describes something that is excessively sweet or rich to the point of being distasteful, as if it fills or saturates too much.

Memory Tip

Think of something that 'fills' you up ('cloy') to the point where it becomes too much or overwhelming — that's why cloying describes something overly sweet or rich.

Visually Confused Words