lush

1 of 3

adjective

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 periodF. B. Millett
(3)
: characterized by abundance : plentiful
lush campaign contributionsFulton Lewis
(4)
: prosperous, profitable
firms with lush contracts
2
a
: savory, delicious
a lush apple pie
b
: appealing to the senses
the lush sounds of the orchestra
c
: opulent, sumptuous
lush accommodations
lushly adverb
lushness noun

lush

2 of 3

noun

1
slang : intoxicating liquor : drink
2
: a habitual heavy drinker : drunkard

lush

3 of 3

verb

lushed; lushing; lushes

transitive verb

1
slang : to consume (alcohol)
I left the clinic, went to a restaurant, and began lushing beer …Norma McCorvey
often used with up
lushing up Prohibition gin …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
2
slang : to ply (someone) with alcohol
often used with up
He found them in Fleet Market, and lushed them up with gin.Patrick Pringle

intransitive verb

: 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
Choose the Right Synonym for lush

profuse, lavish, prodigal, luxuriant, lush, exuberant mean giving or given out in great abundance.

profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
There are 135 spacious rooms, a lush indoor garden with a sleek black marble fountain, and an award-winning spa with a 46-foot lap pool. Amy Louise Bailey, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024 Aiming for Eclecticism: Anthony Cudahy’s lush works of art are inspired by news footage, family photographs and Renaissance paintings. Max Berlinger Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Floor-to-ceiling doors at one end open out onto the lush garden, planted with jasmine and a bamboo wall that borders the yard for privacy. Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2024 The background of the pristine shoreline and azure sea are lush tropical greenery and large boulders. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024 Valencia, Spain Valencia is another affordable European city known for its lush landscape and beautiful beaches. Nora Colomer, Fox News, 14 Mar. 2024 The review also says the patio area is especially pleasant with lush gardens and heat lamps. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 The panel discussed the lush Italian setting, the cinematography and the costumes. Michael Schneider, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 The house was surrounded by a lush garden that this late—or this early—was filled with the rustling noises of insects. Hazlitt, 13 Mar. 2024
Noun
Screen Time: 7:24 Verdict: Mulligan’s kooky cameo imbues this tragic lush with a dash of camp. Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023 Garvey, 74, launched his campaign with a video lush with baseball imagery that recalled his career as a perennial All-Star who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2023 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

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

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English lusch soft, tender

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Adjective

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lush was in 1610

Dictionary Entries Near lush

Cite this Entry

“Lush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lush. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lush

adjective
ˈləsh
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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