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 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 Pebble Beach was not a felicitous meeting of land and sea. Doug Ferguson, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 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 That breadth is a felicitous analog to the roaming comedy of the script. Scott Hocker, theweek, 5 Jan. 2024 See All Example Sentences for felicitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felicitous
Adjective
  • As the mid-Missouri heat and humidity finally subside, any outdoor activity—from the perfect wine picnic to a Katy Trail hike—is much more pleasant.
    Erika Ebsworth-Goold, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
  • As America’s capital of both wine production and pleasant weather, California has any number of towns that capture this experience, each with distinguishing characteristics that suit different types of travelers.
    Justin Goldman, AFAR Media, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This breakthrough could lead to the development of more reliable, next-generation sensors suitable for applications ranging from medical monitoring to energy storage systems.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Less suitable is the club’s goalkeeping.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Just down the street from the colossal blue Scientology center (one of LA’s top locations for taking an ironic selfie) is Found Oyster, a delightful and perennially (pleasantly) crowded seafood restaurant inspired by clam shacks on the East Coast.
    Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2025
  • In addition to delightful dish after delightful dish, tasting menu participants have the joyful experience of choosing their own chopstick holder and steak knife.
    Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Many times, the needs of the homeless are not just heating or cooling, but there may be medical/dental issues, food or appropriate clothing needs as well.
    Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But harness a touch of Scotland’s inimitable peat, and the Rob Roy really steps into its own, the vermouth offering sweetness to the scotch’s smoke, their interplay both delicious and unique.
    Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Greet guests with a warm welcome, a house drink, and a few delicious appetizers.
    Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Town got legislation passed for veteran housing Carney said the location for the homes is fitting.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The ceremony’s focus on Berlanti’s contributions to the YA space was a fitting emphasis for the Summit, which comes in the wake of the Center for Scholars and Storytellers’ annual Teens and Screens report.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This could make eating more enjoyable, leading to eating more.
    Merve Ceylan, Health, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Taking pictures can actually make an experience more enjoyable and more lasting.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • When using hydrogen peroxide, wear protective gloves and eyewear to avoid irritation, ensure proper ventilation, and never mix it with bleach, ammonia, vinegar, or other cleaning agents.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.
    Walden Green, Pitchfork, 24 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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