sumptuous
adjective
Did you know?
The word sumptuous typically describes things that can only be had at some significant expense, a fact that keeps the modern English word tied to its Latin source: sumptus, meaning "expense." Another English adjective, sumptuary, has the same Latin source, but today is found mostly in the context of sumptuary laws, largely historical regulations limiting extravagant expenditures and habits, especially on moral or religious grounds.
Synonyms
Examples of sumptuous in a Sentence
Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
The work accelerated during Ramadan, the holy month when Muslims traditionally conduct a dawn-to-dusk fast broken by what in normal times would be a sumptuous repast.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2024
Pierre-Auguste Renoir is here, too, with his bourgeois couple in sumptuous evening finery taking in an evening of theater from their box high above the stage.
—Emily Labarge, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2024
In the cockpit, both driver and passenger enjoy comfort unknown to 1960s travelers, with supportive sport bucket seats upholstered in sumptuous Saddle Brazilian leather.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
The 65-year-old Belgian designer, known for his avant-garde collections and sumptuous use of colours, sold a majority stake of his brand to Spanish fashion and beauty conglomerate Puig in 2018.
—Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
And Williams’ music, with its sumptuous and stirring signatures, gave the space opera a transcendent power.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024
One especially sumptuous tomb held an individual dubbed the Ivory Lady, who was buried between 2900 and 2800 B.C.E. with exotic items including an African elephant tusk and a clay platter bearing chemical traces of wine and cannabis.
—Bridget Alex, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Mar. 2024
Bedrooms are ample and well appointed, while bathrooms are spacious and sumptuous with bespoke detailing.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sumptuous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sumptuous
Cite this Entry
“Sumptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumptuous. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sumptuous
adjective
Share