1
a
: growing vigorously especially with luxuriant foliage
lush grass
b
: lavishly productive: such as
(1)
: fertile
lush farmland
(2)
: thriving
the lush idealism of the prewar period—
F. B. Millett
F. B. Millett
(3)
: characterized by abundance : plentiful
lush campaign contributions—Fulton Lewis
Fulton Lewis
(4)
: prosperous, profitable
firms with lush contracts
lushly
adverb
lushness
noun
lushed; lushing; lushes
1
slang
: to consume (alcohol)
I left the clinic, went to a restaurant, and began lushing beer …—Norma McCorvey
—often used with upNorma McCorvey… lushing up Prohibition gin …—Lawrence Lipton
Lawrence Lipton'Tis the season for spiked eggnog. … But what if you never touch alcohol or need a break from lushing it up?—Sheila Livadas
Sheila Livadas2
slang
: to ply (someone) with alcohol
—often used with up
He found them in Fleet Market, and lushed them up with gin.—Patrick Pringle
Patrick Pringle
: to consume alcohol : drink sense 2
—often used with up
"I've been lushing up here and there, which is bad for the intestine and doesn't help the soul much either …"—John Clellon Holmes, quoted in Brother-Souls: John Clellon Holmes, Jack Kerouac, and the Beat Generation
John Clellon Holmes, quoted in Brother-Souls: John Clellon Holmes, Jack Kerouac, and the Beat Generation
Synonyms
Adjective
Noun
- alcoholic
- alkie [slang]
- alky
- boozehound
- boozer
- dipsomaniac
- drinker
- drunk
- drunkard
- inebriate
- juicehead [slang]
- juicer [slang]
- rummy
- soak
- soaker
- sot
- souse
- tippler
- toper
- tosspot
Verb
Examples of lush in a Sentence
Adjective
The frequent rainfall encourages the lush growth of trees, ferns, and shrubs.
She always wanted to live on a lush Caribbean island.
The hills are lush with deep, thick grass.
a lush and fruity wine
Noun
He's just an old lush.
she accused him of being a lush and a spendthrift
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Recent Examples on the WebDominique Fluker, Essence, 20 Sep. 2023
Its unique gel texture massages into a lush foam that quickly removes traces of dirt, oil, sunscreen, and makeup.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2023
What’s Great About It The large rattan basket, lush foliage, and long chain makes this a show-stopping arrangement.
—Lee Alisha Williams, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2023
Trumbore carefully assembled lines from contemporary American poets Barbara Crooker, Laura Foley and Amy Fleury, setting them in a lush harmonic language that at times recalls her teacher Morten Lauridsen’s sonorities.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
Where to Eat and Drink There are lots of restaurants in Provenza with open-air eateries under the lush green canopy of trees that line the streets.
—Adam Groffman, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2023
The opening Requiem aeternam begins in lush, pastel harmonies before developing more contrapuntal textures.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 16 Sep. 2023
Guests were surrounded by bountiful charcuterie stations, and the casual elegance of the evening took inspiration from the land and its lush greenery, countryside wildflowers, and freshly grown vegetables.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2023
The relaxed location will have several food and beverage options, a wellness facility, spa, and guest bedrooms, which will all be juxtaposed against the area’s lush natural settings, primed for hiking and biking.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2023
The Rachel Weisz Gay Index, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2023
Bell's Brewery has big plans for 2023: 5 top takeaways WeldWerks opened in Greeley in 2015 and quickly became a cult favorite in a state lush with craft beer.
—Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2023
In West Long Beach, Ms. Hollins has lived and worked for the past 30 years out of her one-story ranch house, set on a property lush with trees, native plants and shrubbery.
—Eileen Guo, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2023
At this Corona del Mar house, landscape designer Margaret Carole McElwee created a garden lush with boxwood hedges, lavender, ficus, and cypress.
—Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 1 Feb. 2023
There, Sean Penn roars in as a old-studio lush as Tom Waits and other pals grin on the sidelines.
—New York Times, 25 Nov. 2021
Whether your boyfriend is a people pleaser, a party person or a lush who loves living lavishly really doesn’t really matter anymore.
—Author: Wayne and Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Nov. 2019
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Adjective
In a recent Instagram post, Simmons shows off several new Chanel bags amongst lush pink florals and candles.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 20 Sep. 2023
Its unique gel texture massages into a lush foam that quickly removes traces of dirt, oil, sunscreen, and makeup.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2023
What’s Great About It The large rattan basket, lush foliage, and long chain makes this a show-stopping arrangement.
—Lee Alisha Williams, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2023
Trumbore carefully assembled lines from contemporary American poets Barbara Crooker, Laura Foley and Amy Fleury, setting them in a lush harmonic language that at times recalls her teacher Morten Lauridsen’s sonorities.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023
Where to Eat and Drink There are lots of restaurants in Provenza with open-air eateries under the lush green canopy of trees that line the streets.
—Adam Groffman, Travel + Leisure, 17 Sep. 2023
The opening Requiem aeternam begins in lush, pastel harmonies before developing more contrapuntal textures.
—Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 16 Sep. 2023
Guests were surrounded by bountiful charcuterie stations, and the casual elegance of the evening took inspiration from the land and its lush greenery, countryside wildflowers, and freshly grown vegetables.
—Alexandra MacOn, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2023
The relaxed location will have several food and beverage options, a wellness facility, spa, and guest bedrooms, which will all be juxtaposed against the area’s lush natural settings, primed for hiking and biking.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2023
Noun
Elliot is a rapacious, omnivorous lush with a God complex; Beverly is a repressed, anxious lesbian with a morality complex.
—The Rachel Weisz Gay Index, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2023
Bell's Brewery has big plans for 2023: 5 top takeaways WeldWerks opened in Greeley in 2015 and quickly became a cult favorite in a state lush with craft beer.
—Brian Manzullo, Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2023
In West Long Beach, Ms. Hollins has lived and worked for the past 30 years out of her one-story ranch house, set on a property lush with trees, native plants and shrubbery.
—Eileen Guo, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2023
At this Corona del Mar house, landscape designer Margaret Carole McElwee created a garden lush with boxwood hedges, lavender, ficus, and cypress.
—Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 1 Feb. 2023
There, Sean Penn roars in as a old-studio lush as Tom Waits and other pals grin on the sidelines.
—New York Times, 25 Nov. 2021
Whether your boyfriend is a people pleaser, a party person or a lush who loves living lavishly really doesn’t really matter anymore.
—Author: Wayne and Wanda, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Nov. 2019
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lush.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near lush
Cite this Entry
“Lush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lush. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
lush
adjectiveˈləsh
1
: being juicy and fresh
lush grass
2
: covered with thick healthy growth
lush pastures
lushly
adverb
lushness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on lush
Nglish: Translation of lush for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of lush for Arabic Speakers
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