sumptuous
adjective
Did you know?
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens may be a few of your favorite things, but are they sumptuous? Alas, though the best things in life are often free, sumptuous is a child of the Latin word sumptus, meaning “expense,” and it typically describes things that can only be had at some significant expense. A sumptuous lifestyle, for example, is more likely to involve silver-white bling than a silver-white winter that melts into spring. Sumptus has another English relation, this one tied even more closely to conspicuous consumption: sumptuary laws are largely historical regulations limiting extravagant expenditures and habits, especially on moral or religious grounds. (The sump in consumption is coincidental; that word comes from consume, which has its roots in Latin sumere meaning “to take up, take.”)
Examples of sumptuous in a Sentence
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2026
The door opens to sumptuous stone floors and a stone desk, all completely insulated from the action outside.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 24 Apr. 2026
In 2019, Spirit spent $10 to $11 billion on a fleet of brand new Airbus 320neo jets, and the following year broke ground on a sumptuous, 500,000 square foot campus on 12 acres in Dania Beach, Florida.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Its four decks are decorated in sumptuous textiles, glistening marble, and deep colors accented with pops of gold—not to mention many replicas of Klimt’s work.
—Susan B. Barnes, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sumptuous
Cite this Entry
“Sumptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumptuous. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sumptuous
adjective
