What it means
Soppy is what you call someone when they go all soft and sentimental, getting a bit mushy, teary, or lovey over something sweet. It’s usually light teasing, not a proper insult. You’d use it for crying at weddings, getting emotional over a dog video, or writing a caption so full of feelings it practically drips.
Usage examples
"Put the telly on and that John Lewis ad comes up, Dave’s sniffling into his sleeve. I’m like, Don’t be soppy, mate. He’s like, Leave it, the penguins got married."
"He goes all soppy at weddings, crying into his napkin before the couple have even said their vows."
"I know it is soppy, but I kept every ticket stub from every film we ever saw together."
"You're getting a bit soppy, mate. It was one anniversary post, not a state funeral."
"She acts all hard till a rescue dog video comes on, then she's properly soppy and reaching for tissues."
Where it comes from
Soppy started off meaning wet, soaked, or waterlogged, from sop, as in something dipped till it’s gone soft and soggy. By the 19th century, English had stretched that damp, floppy feel into the emotional lane too, so soppy came to mean over-sentimental, gooey, and a bit dripping with feeling.
Other ways to say it
This expression also appears in
