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
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2025
And thanks to popular qualities like 100% cotton sateen covers with 200- to 400-thread counts, these pillows also offer a breathable feel and sumptuous look.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 1 Aug. 2025
All suites feature a private pool or jacuzzi–like the sumptuous Amalfi Sunrise Suite, whose spacious infinity pool overlooks the Gulf of Naples and Mount Vesuvius beyond.
—Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The guiding thread across her work has been intimacy and elegance: like Home, her welcome reimagining of a contemporary art space which ran until 2023; her heartfelt personal photography; and Selasi’s sensual dresses and rakish tailoring in sumptuous, earth tones.
—Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sumptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumptuous. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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sumptuous
adjective
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