sybarite

noun

syb·​a·​rite ˈsi-bə-ˌrīt How to pronounce sybarite (audio)
1
[from the notorious luxury of the Sybarites] : voluptuary, sensualist
2
capitalized : a native or resident of the ancient city of Sybaris
sybaritic adjective
sybaritically adverb
sybaritism noun

Examples of sybarite in a Sentence

the prince was remembered as a self-indulgent sybarite, not as a statesman or warrior
Recent Examples on the Web It was said to be situated at one of the portals to Shambhala — a mythical kingdom of peace and tranquillity in the Buddhist imagining — and had been founded in the century before by an artist, saint and sybarite called Danzanravjaa, known as the lama of the Gobi. Aatish Taseer, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2023 Nadia was a sybarite who seemed poised to tip over into genuine addiction. Philippa Snow, The New Republic, 18 Apr. 2022 Mickey is a simpler case, and Sebastian Stan gets to swap his heavy duties as the Winter Soldier, in the Marvel franchise, for those of a summer sybarite. Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2021 What to eat and drink The Romantic Road is a sybarite’s dream come true, cutting through Franconia’s wine country and Bavaria’s beer territory with southern Germany's hearty cuisine served along the way. National Geographic, 14 Aug. 2019 Xerxes is depicted as an androgyne sybarite, his brooding eyes rimmed with kohl, his lips, nose, and ears all pierced with rings linked by delicate golden chains. Myke Cole, The New Republic, 1 Aug. 2019 Sir Toby is sassy, a sybarite and a drunkard, but Steven Barkhimer was almost sober. Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 11 July 2019 Parks and Recreation Donna Meagle, the inventor of shopping in the name of self-care, is a sybarite in all the best ways. Mariana Viera, Teen Vogue, 5 Sep. 2018 The silly creature even eats the farmer’s boxer shorts, plucking them from the clothesline like a sybarite eating grapes. WSJ, 11 May 2018

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sybarite was circa 1555

Dictionary Entries Near sybarite

Cite this Entry

“Sybarite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sybarite. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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