1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

lagniappe

noun

ˈlan-ˌyap How to pronounce lagniappe (audio)
Definition of lagniappenext
1
as in bonus
something given in addition to what is ordinarily expected or owed the meal was served with a lagniappe of freshly made cornbread

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in gift
something given to someone without expectation of a return the hotel threw in some free shampoo as a lagniappe

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 lagniappe Amarys says one of her favorite lagniappes to send folks from out of town is gumbo. — Joshua Carlucci, Southern Living, 14 Oct. 2024 In 2017 the Oscars served up an unscripted lagniappe with the flubbed Best Picture announcement. — Brenda Cronin, WSJ, 22 Mar. 2022 The tradition of lagniappe in liquid form continues at Café Degas (four courses $44), which adds a glass of port. — Ian McNulty | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, 25 Nov. 2020 Also included were two lemons and a large mandarin, a lagniappe of citrus in an otherwise greens-heavy crate. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2020 Murray is five foot ten and one eighth of an inch, that extra point being lagniappe thrown in by the football gods. — Rich Cohen, Harper's magazine, 19 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lagniappe
  1. bonus
  2. gift
  3. dividend
  4. donation
  5. presentation
  6. present
Noun
  • Also, join the Huddle House Rewards program and get 25 bonus points for signing up.
    — Mike Snider, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Now the preferences are changing, as the AI boom makes those working in the chip sector — flush with hefty bonuses — the new gems of the dating pool.
    — Justina Lee,Lisa Kim, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bonus
Noun
  • Palestinians possess no natural gift for grief and there is nothing beautiful about enduring destruction and death.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The children were learning how to make gift bags and perfume, a free workshop that offered them a brief respite from Cuba's realities.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of gift
Noun
  • At a time when Americans are ranking cost of living as a top concern ahead of the November contests, the president's comments echo a promise that people would receive $2,000 tariff dividend checks in late 2025.
    — Joey Garrison, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
  • An immediate rematch with the team that dogwalked them out of the Super Bowl provides ample opportunity, provided the offensive line shuffle shows dividends.
    — J.J. Bailey, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of dividend
Noun
  • Follower donations and a sponsorship from Sticker Savages helped keep the project funded.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Sticker donations from followers and a sponsorship from Sticker Savages helped fund the effort.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of donation
Noun
  • As some selectors are being eliminated so is the traditional system of presentation.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The road to the end of the very long Emmy season takes place over most of your Labor Day holiday weekend with the two-night presentation of what were formerly called the Creative Arts Emmy Awards but now are simply being called the Emmy Awards.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of presentation
Noun
  • Not to mention the quandary price-lopping presents from a copyright perspective.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 2026
  • High-Mach flight presents engineering challenges that go far beyond simply making an aircraft travel faster.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of present

Browse Nearby Words

lagging
lagniappe
lagniappes
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Lagniappe.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lagniappe. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of facsimile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All