cloyingly
In saccharine excess
Cloyingly describes something excessively sweet, sentimental, or ingratiating to the point of disgust.
The word comes from cloying, which originally meant to sicken with too much richness.
A cloyingly sweet dessert overwhelms the palate; cloyingly sentimental music feels manipulative rather than moving.
The adverb often signals that something pleasant in small doses has become unbearable in excess.
Exaggeratedly sentimental
- syrupyExcessively sweet or sentimental
- treaclyExcessively sweet or sentimental
- sugaryContaining much sweetener
- honeyedSweetened or flattering
sickly-sweet · candied · overwrought · mawkish · simpering · gushing · effusive · schmaltzy
Excessive in degree
- over-the-topExcessively dramatic or extravagant
- oppressiveUnjustly harsh or stifling
- suffocatingDepriving of air
- overwroughtExcessively emotional or elaborate
heavy-handed · overbearing · smothering · stifling · inescapable · relentless · pervasive · saturating
Excessively ornate or ruddy
- baroqueExcessively ornate or elaborate
- rococoExcessively elaborate in style
- overwroughtExcessively emotional or elaborate
- over-elaborateExcessively detailed or complicated
gaudy · ostentatious · fussy · busy · cluttered · gilded · embellished · overdecorated
saccharine
Exaggeratedly sentimental
- syrupyExcessively sweet or sentimental
- treaclyExcessively sweet or sentimental
- sugaryContaining much sweetener
honeyed · sickly-sweet · candied · overwrought · mawkish · simpering · gushing · effusive · schmaltzy · mushy
overdone
Excessive in degree
- over-the-topExcessively dramatic or extravagant
- oppressiveUnjustly harsh or stifling
- suffocatingDepriving of air
overwrought · heavy-handed · overbearing · smothering · stifling · inescapable · relentless · pervasive · saturating · unsubtle
florid
Excessively ornate or ruddy
- baroqueExcessively ornate or elaborate
- rococoExcessively elaborate in style
- overwroughtExcessively emotional or elaborate
over-elaborate · gaudy · ostentatious · fussy · busy · cluttered · gilded · embellished · overdecorated · frilly
cloyinglysparingly
In limited amounts
moderately · temperately · austerely · abstemiously · minimally
cloyinglysubtly
With quiet nuance
delicately · tastefully · elegantly · gently · lightly
cloyinglyrefreshingly
In revitalizing manner
pleasantly · agreeably · invigoratingly · briskly · crisply