溢美之词 (yì měi zhī cí) — excessive praise, fulsome praise

Definition

A formal, written term for excessive, insincere praise that goes beyond what is deserved. Often carries a critical tone, implying the praise is flattery rather than genuine admiration.

noun
excessive praisefulsome praise

Examples

  • 溢美之词，。
    Tā de bào gào lǐ chōng mǎn le yì měi zhī cí, ràng rén tīng le hěn bù shū fu.
    His report was full of fulsome praise, making people feel quite uncomfortable.
  • 溢美之词，。
    Duì yú lǐng dǎo de nà xiē yì měi zhī cí, tā zhǐ shì yí xiào liǎo zhī.
    He just laughed off all that excessive praise from the leaders.
  • 溢美之词，。
    Zhēn zhèng de yǒu yì bù xū yào yì měi zhī cí, zhēn chéng de guān xīn cái kě guì.
    True friendship doesn't need fulsome praise; sincere care is what's valuable.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

溢 is built from 氵, water, and 益, to increase, so it shows water rising and spilling over its edge.

Open 溢 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

美 shows 大, a person, wearing 羊, a headdress of feathers or ram's horn.

Open 美 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 詞; 词 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
司
司sī詞cí(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詞 uses 言, meaning speech, and 司 to show how it was pronounced; the simplified 词 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 词 →

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