voluptuous

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adjective vo·lup·tu·ous \ və-ˈləp(t)-shə-wəs , -shəs \

Definition of voluptuous

1 a :suggesting sensual pleasure by fullness and beauty of form

voluptuous nudes

b :full of delight or pleasure to the senses :conducive to or arising from sensuous or sensual gratification :luxurious

a voluptuous dance

voluptuous ornamentation

a voluptuous wine

2 :given to or spent in enjoyment of luxury, pleasure, or sensual gratifications

a long and voluptuous holiday
—Edmund Wilson

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voluptuously

adverb

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voluptuousness

noun

See voluptuous defined for English-language learners

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Examples of voluptuous in a Sentence

the voluptuous richness of the music

Recent Examples of voluptuous from the Web

But the most stunning feature in a mid-century cool building are the stunning, voluptuous copper pot stills, which are each named after a leading lady in a Bob Dylan song.

— sarah baird, GQ, "Brandy Is Cool Again, Thanks to This Distillery," 24 Aug. 2017
Dressed in a slinky, red off-the-shoulder number, the singer poses and pouts to Prince's Kiss, a series of quick cuts zooming in and out on her voluptuous body and revealing cleavage primed for a rare night out.

— Vogue, "Beyoncé Reveals Her Post-Baby Curves on Instagram," 22 Aug. 2017
There’s a woman whose voluptuous silhouette is blurred by shadows — apart from her hair.

— crystal ponti, The Cut, "When Betrayal in a Dream Leads to Real-Life Conflict," 15 Aug. 2017
With #FanLuv at an all-time high, DJ Khaled created a voluptuous vision flashy enough to leave the Playboy mansion staff green with envy.

— bianca alysse, Billboard, "All He Does is Win: DJ Khaled's 10 Best Club Anthems," 7 Aug. 2017
Good olive oil in sufficient quantity is essential to achieve the voluptuous mouthfeel that connotes luxury.

— evan kleiman, latimes.com, "Got a glut of tomatoes? Make the Tuscan dish pappa al pomodoro," 3 Aug. 2017
As a result, Silk has evolved into a gorgeous oddity — a wine with voluptuous fruit and what feels like good structure, but one that also drinks seamlessly with virtually invisible edges.

— craig laban, Philly.com, "Surprising Silk is a unique PA wine true to its name," 21 July 2017
Also quite stunning is Nancy Higley as Celia, a voluptuous senior citizen who's up for just about anything.

— tom titus, Daily Pilot, "On Theater: It's a date for ‘Calendar Girls’," 8 June 2017
So how to account for his film version, one without menace or shadows or the voluptuous morbidity that’s the hallmark of gothic melodrama?

— charles taylor, Newsweek, "Review: In 'My Cousin Rachel' Rachel Weisz Has Her Way With Classic Melodrama," 7 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'voluptuous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of voluptuous

Middle English, from Latin voluptuosus, irregular from voluptas pleasure, from volup pleasurable; akin to Greek elpesthai to hope, Latin velle to wish — more at will

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

voluptuous Synonyms

Synonyms

carnal, fleshly, luscious, lush, sensuous, sensual

Related Words

bodily, corporeal; agreeable, delectable, delicious, delightful, dreamy, gratifying, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, scrumptious; epicurean, luxurious, self-indulgent

Near Antonyms

harsh, painful, uncomfortable; disgusting, foul, hideous, icky

Synonym Discussion of voluptuous

sensuous, sensual, luxurious, voluptuous mean relating to or providing pleasure through gratification of the senses. sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.