delicious

1 of 2

adjective

de·​li·​cious di-ˈli-shəs How to pronounce delicious (audio)
1
: affording great pleasure : delightful
a delicious bit of gossip
2
: appealing to one of the bodily senses especially of taste or smell
a delicious meal
delicious aromas
deliciously adverb
deliciousness noun

Delicious

2 of 2

noun

plural Deliciouses or Delicious
: a sweet red or yellow eating apple of U.S. origin that has a crown of five rounded prominences on the end opposite the stem

Examples of delicious in a Sentence

Adjective This is the most delicious ice cream I have ever eaten. Delicious aromas were floating from the kitchen. a delicious bit of gossip
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Pick up some bright red tomatoes for a salad, homemade soap, vegetables for a delicious dinner or fresh bread straight from the oven at your local market. Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2025 Since the lawyers meet to try the city’s best restaurant, there are plenty of close-ups of their meals and everything looks delicious. Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025 The activity was quiet in a way that my family dinner prep was not, and my efforts led to a delicious treat at the end. Marina Cooley, CNBC, 5 July 2025 All of summer's favorite produce comes together in one delicious salad. Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 5 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for delicious

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin deliciosus, from Latin deliciae delights, from delicere to allure

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of delicious was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Delicious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delicious. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

delicious

1 of 2 adjective
de·​li·​cious di-ˈlish-əs How to pronounce delicious (audio)
: giving great pleasure : delightful
especially : very pleasing to the taste
deliciously adverb
deliciousness noun

Delicious

2 of 2 noun
De·​li·​cious
di-ˈlish-əs
plural Deliciouses or Delicious
: a sweet red or yellow apple of U.S. origin that has five bumps arranged around the end opposite the stem

More from Merriam-Webster on delicious

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