Definition of felicitousnext
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

2

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 No surprise, then, the old playbook is in tatters without a sufficiently clear pathway to a more felicitous future. — Paul Laudicina, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Yet the private life of the royal couple was rumored to be a far from felicitous one, with many stories of infidelities trickling out before and after the princess was killed in a car crash in 1982 at the age of fifty-two. — Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 Mar. 2025 The screenplay that Gracey wrote with Simon Gleeson and Oliver Cole is less felicitous. — Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024 And in one of those felicitous culinary accidents like the Toll House cookie, wound up with a gluten-free product. — Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for felicitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felicitous
Adjective
  • Finally, your weekend is looking dry and pleasant with highs up near 70°.
    — Ron Smiley, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Senior defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh has also been a force in the early season while junior strong safety Kaden McFadden has also been a pleasant surprise with 13 tackles.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • But with a Ryan Murphy production, dark glamour feels like the suitable, if unofficial, dress code.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • IvyCraft interprets source material first, then develops suitable structure and visuals.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Inevitably, the room was filled with delightful noise and laughter.
    — Kelly Leonard, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The Nashville group Total Wife go off the deep end with mutant hyperpop fantasies on their delightful Come Back Down, while Phoenix’s Glixen get romantic on Quiet Pleasures.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • No one should be reading the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Barnyard Recruitment Manual without appropriate ID.
    — Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
  • But on Wednesday, the Fed’s rate-setting committee unanimously agreed to a rate hike, and nearly all policymakers signaled that a second increase later this year would likely be appropriate.
    — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Of course, there is a delicious layer of irony to all of this.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In a delicious turn of events, only three ingredients will get you there, too.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Root was nominated for his work as Monroe Fuches on Barry in 2019, making his new record especially fitting.
    — Lily Brown, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Gig spent 40 years as a railroad conductor, so his grandchildren say driving the tram was a fitting second career.
    — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Not to mention, its lyrics are equally as enjoyable as the production.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • With the great, historic venues available in the league, most of which are easy for fans to reach, the Ivy’s four-team format was one of the most exciting and enjoyable of the conference tournaments.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The proper accounting of military fatalities has implications beyond public transparency.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • This hampers several of my favorite performances, especially Harper, whose Ben is full of sarcastic indignation, and June Laporte as Ginny, an aspiring reporter in need of proper mentoring.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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