sumptuous
adjective
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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
Tejal Rao, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, founder of Banda and husband to Princess Beatrice, has just unveiled the design and development studio’s latest project, a sumptuous and understated London townhouse with a private subterranean swimming pool and custom furnishings.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
Hurrell’s picture is sumptuous, with Garbo bedecked in glittering rosettes of diamonds, her hair falling in perfect ringlets, a lush gray-black fur encircling her plunging neckline.
—Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024
The characters of Mary & George are unapologetically lusty, and so is the show itself: Hardly an hour goes by without at least a few shots of backs or buttocks writhing against sumptuous backdrops in various configurations.
—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
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 23 Apr. 2024.
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sumptuous
adjective
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