spoony

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled spoonie

US /ˈspuːni/ UK /ˈspuːni/ See IPA manual

Freq #86781

Meanings

1

adj
dated: foolishly or excessively sentimental in love

His friends teased him for becoming spoony over every new acquaintance.
2

noun
dated: a foolishly sentimental lover or an infatuated, silly person

Rochester mocked his former self as a spoony who had ruined himself for a mistress.
3

adj
shaped like or resembling a spoon

The tool's spoony end was designed to scoop soft clay.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · dated: foolishly or... lovesicksentimental infatuated gushy

2 noun · dated: a foolishly... sentimental foollovesick foolsimpleton

3 adj · shaped like or resembling a... spoon-shaped

Opposites

unsentimentaldispassionate

Word family

Forms spoonies

Derived forms spoonilyspooninessspoonyism

Related forms spoonspoonielovesick

Etymology

Formed from spoon + -y. Nineteenth-century slang used spoon and spooning for sentimental courtship, producing spoony for an infatuated or mawkish person and, as a noun, a foolish lover. A separate literal sense simply means spoon-shaped.

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

External links

# spoony

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈspuːni/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈspuːni/
**Frequency rank:** 86781

## Meanings
1. dated: foolishly or excessively sentimental in love
2. dated: a foolishly sentimental lover or an infatuated, silly person
3. shaped like or resembling a spoon

## Examples
- His friends teased him for becoming spoony over every new acquaintance.
- Rochester mocked his former self as a spoony who had ruined himself for a mistress.
- The tool's spoony end was designed to scoop soft clay.

## Synonyms
- lovesick
- sentimental
- infatuated
- gushy
- simpleton

## Antonyms
- unsentimental
- dispassionate

## Derived Forms
- spoonily
- spooniness
- spoonyism

## Related Forms
- spoon
- spoonie
- lovesick

## Etymology
Formed from spoon + -y. Nineteenth-century slang used spoon and spooning for sentimental courtship, producing spoony for an infatuated or mawkish person and, as a noun, a foolish lover. A separate literal sense simply means spoon-shaped.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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