fruity

adjective

ˈfrü-tē 

fruitier; fruitiest

1

a

: relating to, made with, or resembling fruit

a fruity flavor/aroma

a fruity dessert

Apples are perfect little packages of fruity delight.

—Amanda Kooser

b

: having the flavor or aroma of ripe fruit

There are a number of bright, fruity reds, made from … merlot, pinot noir, and other better-known [grape] varieties.

—Saveur

2

a

: richly satisfying : extremely effective, interesting, or enjoyable

The night is warm and fruity, and as they turn onto a narrow road a salty ocean smell engulfs them and recedes.

—Jane Mendelsohn

b

: sweet or sentimental especially to excess

… published an excellent account …, to the harrowing details of which it devoted much fruity sentiment and morbid imagination.

—Winston Churchill

c

of a voice : rich and deep

His more leisured age preferred fruity orotundity in a public figure, and Everett tried through his career to oblige.

—Robert Stone

They … have long clever brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can get it).

—J. R. R. Tolkien

3

dated slang, usually disparaging : gay

The year 1594 was a fruity one in English literature, in part thanks to the influence from beyond the grave of Christopher Marlowe. Two of the dramatist's most queerly themed plays made it into print that year …

—Will Tosh

4

slang : wacky, silly

While some condemned Atlantis as completely fruity, others actually joined the commune.

—Mary Braid and Jan McGirk

fruitily adverb

fruitiness noun

Synonyms of fruity

• sentimental
• sticky
• sloppy
• sugary
• wet

Examples of fruity in a Sentence

She acts a little fruity.

letters in which his effusive declarations of love are interlaced with snatches of fruity poetry

Recent Examples on the Web

The grain whiskies were produced at Cambus, a distillery that closed in 1993 and is said to add notes of vanilla and butterscotch, and Carsebridge, another shuttered distillery that adds a fruitier element to the mix. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2025

Ben Nevis has also explored wine yeast to produce ester-rich new-make spirit with a brighter, fruitier profile. —Emily Price, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Carter, our former Test Kitchen director, crafted a recipe for a mustard that uses hard cider, apple cider vinegar and fresh apples for a fruitier edge, but one that still packs a punch. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2025

Furthermore, the sour beers brewed with pea sugars were rated as having fruitier flavors and higher acidity, while overall, the taste intensity was comparable to that of commercial beers. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

fruit entry 1 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for fruity

• beauty
• booty
• cutie
• duty
• putti
• snooty
• sooty
• sruti
• tutti

Kids Definition

fruity

adjective

ˈfrüt-ē 

fruitier; fruitiest

: relating to or suggesting fruit

a fruity smell