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
Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025
The Addiction, which also stars Ferrara fave Christopher Walken, benefits from low-budget grit, as it's populated with the authentic Manhattan characters and locations that one associates with Ferrara's best work and lensed by Ken Kelsch in sumptuous black and white.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
Luckily for all those who love a ‘lil color, The Lip Treatment has four shades ripe for the picking, from the delicate, ultra-sheer Bare to the darker, sumptuous, ideal-for-fall Cocoa.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025
There are 15 sumptuous color choices, 70 to 80% blackout coverage, and machine washable ease.
—Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 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 14 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sumptuous
adjective
Share