Synonym Chooser

How is the word luxurious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of luxurious are sensual, sensuous, and voluptuous. While all these words mean "relating to or providing pleasure through gratification of the senses," luxurious suggests the indulgence of sensuous pleasure inducing bodily ease and languor.

a luxurious hotel

When is it sensible to use sensual instead of luxurious?

The synonyms sensual and luxurious are sometimes interchangeable, but sensual tends to imply the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of the physical appetites as ends in themselves.

a life devoted to sensual pleasures

When is sensuous a more appropriate choice than luxurious?

In some situations, the words sensuous and luxurious are roughly equivalent. However, sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.

the sensuous delights of great music

When might voluptuous be a better fit than luxurious?

The meanings of voluptuous and luxurious largely overlap; however, voluptuous implies more strongly an abandonment especially to sensual pleasure.

a voluptuous feast

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of luxurious Sometimes, Wyeth’s work was described as bourgeois, betraying a desire for black ease and affluence, trading in a corrosive and politically dubious desire to see black people rich or at the very least in luxurious settings. Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025 For hair care, Swift keeps things just as luxurious with Christophe Robin’s Delicate Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner with Rose Extracts—a fitting choice for someone whose hair undergoes daily styling and sweating. Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 14 Oct. 2025 Welcome to Ultimate Homes, a new Robb Report video series in which host Mark Ellwood guides you through the most striking and luxurious homes on the prime market today. Mark David, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2025 Photos and videos circulating across social media show the trio posing and cutting a luxurious cake, smiling from ear to ear. Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for luxurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luxurious
Adjective
  • High-end luxury prices start at nearly five times that price, while ultra-luxury surge to more than 12 times the typical home price.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Fisker, 62, is best known for designing ultra-luxury cars for BMW, Ford, Tesla, and Aston Martin before starting Fisker Automotive in 2007.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Frankincense and resins open the composition, mingling with tonka and vanilla bean for a sensual, sophisticated, and addictive aroma that invites you to linger beside a boutique hotel’s flickering fireplace on a cold night.
    Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Even without the models, the sample runway light show was sensual, inviting, synced with pulsing music.
    Evan Clark, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The prize is a 1-night stay in a deluxe suite at The Surrey Hotel during the months of October 2025-March 2026 and a complimentary 60-minute custom facial spa treatment.
    Vogue, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The Untold Chapter will be released on black vinyl as well as digitally, as well as a deluxe 2-CD edition with the original album and the new EP, as well as a 20-page booklet of lyrics and illustrations; fans can pre-order the black vinyl here.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Like that Lena Dunham series but with a decidedly more hedonistic spin given this first footage, the series centers on a friend group navigating relationships, career, success, and party-going.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Frida’s terminally ill mom, Victoria (Montse Guallar), escapes into a hedonistic haze of morphine, imperious behavior, and pansexual dalliances.
    Judy Berman, Time, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • An informal cut, perhaps, though the top’s material — a luxuriant silk crepe — helped elevate the look.
    Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Beyond it is a three-hectare haven of silvery olive trees, luxuriant Washingtonia palms, and lawns where peacocks wander freely.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The lavish colors are all set against the stunning backdrop of Sedona’s iconic red rock formations.
    Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The Love Island star celebrated her 28th birthday with a lavish party in New York City in August.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe.
    Tara Haelle, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2025
  • An enemy may have invaded your beautiful, green lawn, leaving it ugly and brown.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But the restaurant, known for its sumptuous stromboli, is back open for business.
    Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Today, there are 42 rooms, including grand riads, charming Berber tents, and suites with hot tubs, terraces, and private pools all furnished with sumptuous Moroccan crafts.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Luxurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luxurious. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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