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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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
  • The 25-year-old is always pleasant and wearing a big smile.
    Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Having visited the dome myself, the clearest impression that stays with me is how Hiroshima isn’t just surprisingly pleasant, but beautiful.
    Ed Simon August 18, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Project Neighbors Executive Director Carmen Vincent said the homes would be suitable for nurses, teachers, grocery store clerks, senior citizens and others who need affordable homes.
    Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Investments in securities entail risk and are not suitable for all investors.
    Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Some Zinfandels even taste like berry jam, but with the delightful heat of around 14% alcohol on the finish, and a touch of acidity to cleanse the palate between bites of BBQ.
    Liz Thach, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Many of its delightful products are made on site, like comforters, pillows, wool sponges, and more.
    Katy Spratte Joyce, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Lucio — leggy, brave, sturdy in the challenge — is probably more appropriate as a reference point.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2025
  • The player models and lighting are excellent, with equipment shining and time of day delivering the appropriate immersion.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Kick things off with their al pastor skewer, a nod to Mexico City’s favorite street food pared down to just the essentials for a delicious and juicy bite.
    Rana Good, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • This dip was delicious with both chips and veggies.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Gray’s emphasis on everyday beauty and individuality finds a fitting home in a space designed to celebrate craftsmanship and sensory richness.
    Skylar Mitchell, Essence, 11 Aug. 2025
  • Less fitting was just how few words Love — who had long been estranged from Brian Wilson — said about the late Beach Boys’ mastermind before and after the video tribute.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The suit claims the school failed to provide proper protective equipment and training to Wei.
    John Wisely, Freep.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • To get the cast and crew in the proper headspace for filming the crime thriller, Caron hosted a Portland-area screening of John Cassavetes’ Gloria (1980).
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Since judging the beauty of art is subjective, identifying the most aesthetically pleasing sculptures is difficult, Chidester said, but there are pieces in the collection that have drawn praise from the community.
    Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2025
  • None of this is pleasing to a country that has fought bitter wars with Pakistan, and whose officials have over the past two decades assiduously invested to elevate Indo-U.S. relations to a higher plane.
    Salil Tripathi, Time, 8 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.

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