What does "cloy" mean?
To fill up or choke up; to stop up.
Cloy
/klɔɪ/ name, verb
name, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To fill up or choke up; to stop up.
- Grammar: cloy is listed as name, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: pall, allay, cram, engorge.
- Useful contrasts: delight, enliven.
- Usage evidence: "Not so; though glory wait not on the act; / though poor the praise, and barren be the gain, / vengeance on feeble woman to exact, / yet praised hereafter shall his name remain, / who purges earth of such a monstrous stain. / Sweet is the passion of vindictive joy, / sweet is the punishment, where just the pain, / sweet the fierce ardour of revenge to cloy, / and slake with Dardan blood the funeral flames of Troy."
How to use "cloy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cloy" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cloy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cloy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cloy" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cloy" is acting as name, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "pall" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cloy", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To fill up or choke up; to stop up. transitive
- 2 cause surfeit through excess though initially pleasing wordnet
- 3 To clog, to glut, or satisfy, as the appetite; to satiate. transitive
- 4 supply or feed to surfeit wordnet
- 5 To fill to loathing; to surfeit. transitive
"Now all this was very fine, but not at all in keeping with the Celebrity's character as I had come to conceive it. The idea that adulation ever cloyed on him was ludicrous in itself. In fact I thought the whole story fishy, and came very near to saying so."
Proper Noun
- 1 A male given name.
"The third Iraq veteran -- 23-year-old Cloy Richards of Salem, Missouri, who was wounded in combat -- will avoid losing his disability benefits after agreeing not to wear his uniform at future protests, the Marine Corps said."
Example
""Not so; though glory wait not on the act; / though poor the praise, and barren be the gain, / vengeance on feeble woman to exact, / yet praised hereafter shall his name remain, / who purges earth of such a monstrous stain. / Sweet is the passion of vindictive joy, / sweet is the punishment, where just the pain, / sweet the fierce ardour of revenge to cloy, / and slake with Dardan blood the funeral flames of Troy.""
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cloy"?
Common synonyms include: pall, allay, cram, engorge, fill, fill up.
How do you use "cloy" in a sentence?
"Not so; though glory wait not on the act; / though poor the praise, and barren be the gain, / vengeance on feeble woman to exact, / yet praised hereafter shall his name remain, / who purges earth of such a monstrous stain. / Sweet is the passion of vindictive joy, / sweet is the punishment, where just the pain, / sweet the fierce ardour of revenge to cloy, / and slake with Dardan blood the funeral flames of Troy."
How do you pronounce "cloy"?
Pronounced /klɔɪ/.
Etymology
From an aphetic form of Middle English acloyen, from Old French enclouer, encloer, from Vulgar Latin *inclāvāre, from Late Latin clāvāre, from Latin clāvus.