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
fruitily
adverb
fruitiness
noun
Cite this Entry
“Fruity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruity. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.
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