Definition of SCRUMPTIOUS

Did You Know?

First appearing in English in 1830, "scrumptious" is a mouth-watering word that is used to describe what is delightful and delectable. It probably originated as an alteration of "sumptuous," and it carries the elegant and wonderful connotations of its parent. (Sumptuous derives via Middle English from the Latin verb sumere, meaning "to take or spend.") British author Roald Dahl had some fun with "scrumptious," and created a delightful coinage, when he inserted the infix "-diddly-" into the word to make "scrumdiddlyumptious," the word that chocolate magnate Willy Wonka uses to name his best-selling treats in his novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964).

Examples of scrumptious in a Sentence

baked a scrumptious chocolate cake

Recent Examples on the Web

The poke appetizer, which was notably spicy but tempered the heat with watermelon cubes that looked just like the raw tuna, was scrumptious. — Arthur Levine, USA TODAY, "Disneyland's new Pixar Pier: Is it Incredible?," 10 July 2018 Across the street, Crème Cafe serves scrumptious crepes of both the sweet and savory varieties, plus coffee drinks and fresh baked goods. — Natasha Bourlin, SFChronicle.com, "Increasingly hip Midtown Reno has a glow that’s not from neon," 29 June 2018 Go wild — the produce aisle is the limit. Mini-appetizers wouldn’t be as scrumptious without mini-cocktails, and these options will please just about everyone. — Alysha Witwicki, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "How to have big fun with mini-appetizers and mini-cocktails," 2 June 2018 Now, the business is known for its scrumptious cupcakes. — Simon Dumenco, Country Living, "17 Things to Know About Chip and Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Market at the Silos," 12 June 2018 Naegelin’s Bakery: This is a scrumptious Texas tradition; folks come from miles around and nobody leaves empty handed. — Michelle Newman, San Antonio Express-News, "New Braunfels: Your guide to shopping, dining and hotels," 11 June 2018 Learn local recipes handed down from generation to generation, before enjoying a scrumptious breakfast. — Jim Berleley, Town & Country, "How to Plan a Trip to Dubai," 5 Oct. 2016 Princi, Via Speronari 6, 02-874-797; princi.it: Truly scrumptious bread, pizza, and focaccia by the slice in a sleek setting designed by Claudio Silvestrin. — Elle Decor Staff, ELLE Decor, "ELLE DECOR Goes to Milan," 20 Sep. 2010 Open during gallery hours on weekdays and for dinner on Fridays and Saturday nights, the menu here is diverse, fresh, and scrumptious. — Jaimie Potters, Harper's BAZAAR, "This is The Small British Town You Haven’t Heard of–But Need to Visit," 31 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scrumptious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.