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
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025
From the rich olive shade to the sumptuous velvet fabric, these pleated round throw pillows scream art deco.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
Meals are served per bungalow to your tastes but don’t forget to take a tour of the Dilmah Tea factory and experience an in-depth tasting with a tea sommelier or sumptuous high tea before heading back to Colombo.
—Alissa Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
The sumptuous 160-room hotel boasts eight restaurants, a spa and three retail outlets.
—Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sumptuous
Cite this Entry
“Sumptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumptuous. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sumptuous
adjective
Share