Pronunciation: [klˈɔ͡ɪɪŋ] (IPA) 
The word "cloying" is spelled with the letters C-L-O-Y-I-N-G. It is pronounced as \ˈklȯi-iŋ\ with two syllables. The "C" is pronounced like "K", while "L" is pronounced like "El", "O" like "Oh", "Y" like "Why", "I" like "Eye", and "N" like "En". The word means excessively sweet or sentimental, which can cause a feeling of nausea or disgust. It is often used to describe something that is too much or overwhelming.
Cloying, as an adjective, refers to something that is excessively sweet or rich, to the extent that it becomes overwhelming or unpleasant. This term is often used in the context of flavors or smells, but can also describe something that is sentimental or overly sentimental. When the sweetness of a food or beverage is excessive, it leaves a sense of being too indulgent or filling, leading to a feeling of distaste or discomfort. Similarly, a cloying fragrance or perfume can be overpowering and cause a feeling of suffocation or weariness.
In a broader sense, "cloying" can describe anything that evokes a feeling of excessive sentimentality or artificial emotions. For example, an overly sentimental movie or book can be described as cloying when it becomes melodramatic or excessively emotional, feeling insincere or forced to the audience. This term is often associated with a sense of being overly saccharine or insipid, lacking depth or complexity.
Overall, "cloying" depicts a state of excess or overindulgence, where something that is meant to be pleasurable becomes overwhelming, monotonous, or even sickening. It is often used to describe an overwhelming sweetness or sentimentality that crosses the line, straying from being enjoyable into negative territory.
The word "cloying" comes from the Middle English word "cloyen", which means "to choke or suffocate". It originated from the Old French word "encloyer", which has the same meaning. This Old French term is derived from the Latin word "obclaudere", which combines "ob" (meaning "thoroughly" or "over") and "claudere" (meaning "to close" or "shut"). Over time, "encloyer" evolved into "cloy" in Middle English, which eventually gave rise to the adjective "cloying" in the 16th century.
