1
as in pleasant
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses a felicitous accompaniment to dinner is provided by a pianist on weekends at the restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective felicitous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of felicitous are appropriate, apt, fitting, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When is appropriate a more appropriate choice than felicitous?

While in some cases nearly identical to felicitous, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When might apt be a better fit than felicitous?

Although the words apt and felicitous have much in common, apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When would fit be a good substitute for felicitous?

The meanings of fit and felicitous largely overlap; however, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When could fitting be used to replace felicitous?

In some situations, the words fitting and felicitous are roughly equivalent. However, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to felicitous?

While the synonyms happy and felicitous are close in meaning, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When is it sensible to use meet instead of felicitous?

The words meet and felicitous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When can proper be used instead of felicitous?

The synonyms proper and felicitous are sometimes interchangeable, but proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

In what contexts can suitable take the place of felicitous?

The words suitable and felicitous can be used in similar contexts, but suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

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 felicitous Pebble Beach was not a felicitous meeting of land and sea. Doug Ferguson, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 That breadth is a felicitous analog to the roaming comedy of the script. Scott Hocker, theweek, 5 Jan. 2024 Ellis-Bextor now joins Kate Bush in the league of criminally underrated British singers who have received a late-career reappraisal thanks to a felicitous TV or film sync. Vulture, 11 Jan. 2024 A couple of bright, shining hours can endow a day with a felicitous look and feel. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for felicitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felicitous
Adjective
  • Using a real-life incarceration facility near Geelong in Victoria that had just opened (but wasn’t populated yet), Williams has a setting that’s sunny and modern, not inherently depressing if not exactly pleasant, either.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 20 June 2025
  • The most pleasant surprise to me was Ohio’s Matt Ponatoski, ranked as the No. 29 QB by 247Sports.
    Bruce Feldman, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • This new moon is particularly suitable for projects or processes that have to do with your well-being, your home, your family, or your emotional balance.
    Danijela Pilic, Glamour, 24 June 2025
  • Seek Professional Guidance: Consider consulting a financial advisor to understand if cryptocurrency is suitable for your financial situation.
    Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Upon receiving the ball, Joao Pedro turns, drives forward, and slides a delightful ball through to Simon Adingra, making a dangerous out-to-in run from the flank.
    Mark Carey, New York Times, 30 June 2025
  • La Terrasse du Petit Palais makes for delightful open air lakefront dining at the 1906 Fairmont Le Montreux Palace hotel, while its indoor Montreux Jazz Café features a fine dining menu, despite its casual name.
    John Oseid, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • District officials insist that their use of arts money has been legal and appropriate.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2025
  • Localization testing helps ensure appropriate usage of region-specific currencies and symbols; attain correct display of textual content within buttons, menus or other UI elements; review adherence to local gambling regulations, such as betting limits, taxation, operational hours and more.
    Dzmitry Lubneuski, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Instead, start the day with a lavish breakfast buffet at La Sala, piled with delicious local specialties, fresh tropical fruits, and mouthwatering international favorites.
    Ashlee Marie Preston, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • In the French Quarter, The Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton offer lush massages, facials, body scrubs, and mani/pedis, plus access to their swimming pool and hot tub for a delicious soak.
    Essence, Essence, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Leadership in 2025 and beyond requires fitting humans, who supply feelings and ethics, together with technology that enhances the speed, reach, and uniformity of processes.
    Mark Minevich, Fortune, 25 June 2025
  • The key for Niang, who enters a contract year during an era where elite shooting is quite invaluable, will be fitting into the team defense.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • The potential disasters of treating art like traditional investments far outweigh the cost of proper planning.
    Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Eggs themselves are not a source of collagen—but the egg white specifically contains proline and glycine, two essential amino acids for proper collagen production.
    Alessandra Signorelli, Vogue, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • The Google Photos web interface is clean, minimalist, and pleasing.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 25 June 2025
  • Prioritize window placement early by considering exterior style, symmetry, and scale to ensure the facade feels balanced and visually pleasing.
    Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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