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

Relevance

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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for felicitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felicitous
Adjective
  • And then the 1970s British folk rock gives way to a less pleasant auditory landscape, as the hum appears, bringing on headaches and nosebleeds and affecting her concentration and mood, her work and family.
    Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
  • There's the pleasant experience of interacting with them.
    Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 12 June 2026
Adjective
  • Sand was delivered in eight truckloads on Wednesday, and then spread across the arena floor to build a sand court that is suitable for the world’s best beach volleyball players.
    Jason Stromberg, Sun Sentinel, 11 June 2026
  • The trial was repeatedly delayed because of difficulties finding suitable translators.
    ABC News, ABC News, 11 June 2026
Adjective
  • All three are delightful, but in completely different ways.
    Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 June 2026
  • Two differing criminal factions want a load of cocaine, but when a poor farmer named Kaalayan (Guru Somasundaram) gets wind of it, his life briefly entangles with the crime bosses, resulting in a bloody final showdown and a delightful twist ending.
    Eric Farwell, Entertainment Weekly, 12 June 2026
Adjective
  • The fourth-quarter comeback was incredibly appropriate.
    Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
  • The most appropriate action is to drive to the closest shelter available.
    KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT, Kansas City Star, 14 June 2026
Adjective
  • And within a 24-hour span, two beautiful and delicious peach cobblers had been baked in our oven.
    Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 13 June 2026
  • This Mediterranean-style enclave is home to not only top-notch service, but also, the most delicious and well-prepared entrees.
    Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
Adjective
  • The cover is snug-fitting, sleek-feeling, and completely protective over my e-reader.
    Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026
  • The resulting design is a hybrid of textile innovation, a proprietary fitting system, and garment engineering for a piece that wraps around the body, giving a personalized support system to wearers.
    Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 11 June 2026
Adjective
  • Another beachgoer said the seaweed made spending time in the water less enjoyable than usual.
    Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
  • The common thread is finding something sustainable and enjoyable enough to do regularly.
    Samantha Agate, Sacbee.com, 13 June 2026
Adjective
  • Potential asylum seekers had no proper access to legal advice, and some people were held for weeks, much longer than the three days that the law allowed.
    Nicole Winfield, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
  • Most Red Raiders feel that Texas Tech does not get its proper piece of all of that Permian Basin revenue, which flows legally, and freely, to Texas A&M and the University of Texas; those rights bloat A&M to UT’s respective endowments to the billions, while Tech only gets millions.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on felicitous

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster