Synonym Chooser

How is the word voluptuous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of voluptuous are luxurious, sensual, and sensuous. While all these words mean "relating to or providing pleasure through gratification of the senses," voluptuous implies more strongly an abandonment especially to sensual pleasure.

a voluptuous feast

When is it sensible to use luxurious instead of voluptuous?

While the synonyms luxurious and voluptuous are close in meaning, luxurious suggests the indulgence of sensuous pleasure inducing bodily ease and languor.

a luxurious hotel

When can sensual be used instead of voluptuous?

The words sensual and voluptuous can be used in similar contexts, but sensual tends to imply the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of the physical appetites as ends in themselves.

a life devoted to sensual pleasures

When might sensuous be a better fit than voluptuous?

The synonyms sensuous and voluptuous are sometimes interchangeable, but sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.

the sensuous delights of great music

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of voluptuous Due to her voluptuous figure and her rising status as a publicity magnet, Twentieth Century Fox signed Mansfield to a contract with the hopes of turning her into the next Marilyn Monroe. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 28 June 2025 It is named for a plastic-surgery technique called the Rubens flap, used in breast reconstruction; the term is a reference to the voluptuous figures in Rubens’s work. Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 June 2025 The Vegas Strip lives up to its name in the vivid and voluptuous fever dream of neon, nails, and Nomi. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 3 May 2025 The coed collection highlights the voluptuous tailoring and sensual drape of Pilati’s designs, as well his knack for eye-catching accessories. Sandra Salibian, WWD, 27 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for voluptuous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for voluptuous
sensual
Adjective
  • 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
  • Each season, the designer also finds inspiration in the swift pace of New York City, which lends itself to creating clothing that strays into sensual territory.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 25 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Voluptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voluptuous. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.

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