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
  • Quiet and largely seasonably pleasant weather will settle across the Kansas City area on Tuesday, giving the metro a break from the heat and storms of the past few days, according to the National Weather Service.
    Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2025
  • The average temperature is a pleasant 56°F (13°C), with warm summers and cool winters.
    Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • Moist soil is important; however, areas where moisture accumulates during the winter are not suitable as this will make the tubers rot.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 6 July 2025
  • Each piece has a sturdy coated iron frame that’s rust-resistant and suitable for year-round outdoor exposure, while the chairs are covered in a quick-drying breathable fabric that’s fade- and UV-resistant.
    Maggie Horton, People.com, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Adjective
  • These ribbons can be steamed, boiled, or even served raw with an appropriate sauce.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 4 July 2025
  • When asked by the judge near the start of Wednesday’s hours-long hearing, attorneys for the parties could not reach an agreement on an appropriate value for the sanctions.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 July 2025
Adjective
  • Since the lawyers meet to try the city’s best restaurant, there are plenty of close-ups of their meals and everything looks delicious.
    Joan MacDonald, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
  • Pick up some bright red tomatoes for a salad, homemade soap, vegetables for a delicious dinner or fresh bread straight from the oven at your local market.
    Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • Maybe Bernie Ecclestone was right about fitting racetracks with sprinklers.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 7 July 2025
  • The Fourth of July is all about celebrating freedom — and really, what’s more fitting than free stuff?
    Julia Gomez, Austin American Statesman, 4 July 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • The potential disasters of treating art like traditional investments far outweigh the cost of proper planning.
    Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes.com, 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 10 Jul. 2025.

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