lush

1 of 3

adjective

1
a
: growing vigorously especially with luxuriant foliage
lush grass
b
: lavishly productive: such as
(1)
: fertile
lush farmland
(2)
: thriving
the lush idealism of the prewar periodF. B. Millett
(3)
: characterized by abundance : plentiful
lush campaign contributionsFulton Lewis
(4)
: prosperous, profitable
firms with lush contracts
2
a
: savory, delicious
a lush apple pie
b
: appealing to the senses
the lush sounds of the orchestra
c
: opulent, sumptuous
lush accommodations
lushly adverb
lushness noun

lush

2 of 3

noun

1
slang : intoxicating liquor : drink
2
: a habitual heavy drinker : drunkard

lush

3 of 3

verb

lushed; lushing; lushes

transitive verb

1
slang : to consume (alcohol)
I left the clinic, went to a restaurant, and began lushing beer …Norma McCorvey
often used with up
lushing up Prohibition gin …Lawrence Lipton
'Tis the season for spiked eggnog. … But what if you never touch alcohol or need a break from lushing it up?Sheila Livadas
2
slang : to ply (someone) with alcohol
often used with up
He found them in Fleet Market, and lushed them up with gin.Patrick Pringle

intransitive verb

: to consume alcohol : drink sense 2
often used with up
"I've been lushing up here and there, which is bad for the intestine and doesn't help the soul much either …"John Clellon Holmes, quoted in Brother-Souls: John Clellon Holmes, Jack Kerouac, and the Beat Generation
Choose the Right Synonym for lush

profuse, lavish, prodigal, luxuriant, lush, exuberant mean giving or given out in great abundance.

profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

Examples of lush in a Sentence

Adjective The frequent rainfall encourages the lush growth of trees, ferns, and shrubs. She always wanted to live on a lush Caribbean island. The hills are lush with deep, thick grass. a lush and fruity wine Noun He's just an old lush. she accused him of being a lush and a spendthrift
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Last year, Miko incorporated cherry blossom visuals into her shows to simulate a lush Japanese garden. Frances Solá-Santiago, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 Each residence will sport lush gardens, free-flowing living and dining areas, an infinity-edge pool, as well as an open-air lounge—one of the best spots for stargazing. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 Given the princess’ popularity, every inch of it was meticulously scrutinized and eagle-eyed royal-watchers quickly questioned the absence of either her wedding or engagement ring and the lush greenery in the background despite the currently bitter March temperatures. Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 With thousands of lakes, national parks, and lush forests, Michigan is a picture-perfect destination for both vacationers and its approximately 10 million full-time residents. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2024 The piece is lush with theatricality, successfully using a harmony of elements to explore Stevens’s work. Gloria Oladipo, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 While many of the special-edition vinyl have sold out, the Cardinal Picture Disc Vinyl, featuring a gorgeous illustration of two red cardinals amidst lush greenery, is now back in stock. Anna Tingley, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 Be one with the birds in Altadena With spring nearly here, the hills are lush and the birds are chirping. Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The property is equipped with state-of-the-art four-star restaurants and accommodations, an on-site emergency medical facility and 2 miles of lush Caribbean Sea beachfront. Richard Fowler, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Screen Time: 7:24 Verdict: Mulligan’s kooky cameo imbues this tragic lush with a dash of camp. Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023 Garvey, 74, launched his campaign with a video lush with baseball imagery that recalled his career as a perennial All-Star who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2023 Elliot is a rapacious, omnivorous lush with a God complex; Beverly is a repressed, anxious lesbian with a morality complex. The Rachel Weisz Gay Index, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2023 Bell's Brewery has big plans for 2023: 5 top takeaways WeldWerks opened in Greeley in 2015 and quickly became a cult favorite in a state lush with craft beer. Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2023 In West Long Beach, Ms. Hollins has lived and worked for the past 30 years out of her one-story ranch house, set on a property lush with trees, native plants and shrubbery. Eileen Guo, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2023 At this Corona del Mar house, landscape designer Margaret Carole McElwee created a garden lush with boxwood hedges, lavender, ficus, and cypress. Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 1 Feb. 2023 There, Sean Penn roars in as a old-studio lush as Tom Waits and other pals grin on the sidelines. New York Times, 25 Nov. 2021 Whether your boyfriend is a people pleaser, a party person or a lush who loves living lavishly really doesn’t really matter anymore. Author: Wayne and Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Nov. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lush.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English lusch soft, tender

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Adjective

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lush was in 1610

Dictionary Entries Near lush

Cite this Entry

“Lush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lush. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lush

adjective
ˈləsh
1
: being juicy and fresh
lush grass
2
: covered with thick healthy growth
lush pastures
lushly adverb
lushness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lush

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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