Synonyms of lush

lush 1 of 2

adjective

ˈləsh 

1

as in green

covered with a thick healthy natural growth

they loved to go for picnics in the lush woodlands

Synonyms & Similar Words

• green
• grown
• dense
• leafy
• fertile
• verdant
• rich
• luxuriant
• overgrown
• prolific
• tangled
• fruitful
• productive
• fecund
• fat

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• barren
• leafless
• poor
• bleak
• stark
• dry
• impoverished
• unproductive
• depleted
• arid
• infertile
• dead
• desert
• parched
• sere
• waterless

2

as in rampant

growing thickly and vigorously

lush dandelions had turned the meadow into a sea of yellow

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rampant
• dense
• weedy
• luxuriant
• prosperous
• thick
• verdant
• lavish
• rank
• overgrown
• tangled
• profuse
• close
• overrun

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sparse
• dormant
• blighted
• stunted

3

as in delicious

very pleasing to the sense of taste

lush desserts that are well worth the boatload of calories

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delicious
• tasteful
• edible
• luscious
• flavorful
• succulent
• delectable
• tasty
• scrumptious
• yummy
• appetizing
• heavenly
• dainty
• delightful
• toothy
• savory
• palatable
• ambrosial
• flavorsome
• toothsome
• mouthwatering
• delish
• pleasant
• pleasing
• satisfying
• exquisite
• digestible
• eatable
• delicate
• rare
• agreeable
• gratifying
• choice

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flat
• insipid
• boring
• stale
• tasteless
• tedious
• distasteful
• unsavory
• unpalatable
• banal
• commonplace
• smelly
• noxious
• unappetizing
• flavorless
• yucky
• unwholesome
• miserable
• stinky
• awful
• unpleasant
• wretched
• noisome
• disgusting
• horrid
• offensive
• repulsive
• disagreeable
• abominable
• repugnant
• sickening
• foul
• abhorrent
• repellent
• detestable
• nauseating

4

as in thriving

marked by vigorous growth and well-being especially economically

those were lush times for the gambling industry, which kept building ever grander casinos

Synonyms & Similar Words

• thriving
• golden
• prosperous
• booming
• successful
• wealthy
• prospering
• healthy
• flourishing
• roaring
• palmy
• halcyon
• rich
• affluent
• opulent
• boomy
• moneyed
• well-to-do
• substantial
• comfortable
• well-off
• well-heeled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsuccessful
• depressed
• dying
• failing
• unprosperous
• languishing
• declining
• struggling
• bankrupt
• insolvent
• floundering
• bankrupted

5

as in sensual

pleasing to the physical senses

I could listen to the baritone's lush voice for hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sensual
• delicious
• pleasant
• voluptuous
• delightful
• luxurious
• sensuous
• luscious
• carnal
• pleasing
• fleshly
• bodily
• dreamy
• corporeal
• scrumptious
• delectable
• pleasurable
• gratifying
• palatable
• agreeable
• epicurean
• self-indulgent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• painful
• harsh
• uncomfortable
• hideous
• disgusting
• foul
• icky

6

as in fertile

producing abundantly

his lush fields were the envy of neighboring farmers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fertile
• prolific
• rich
• fecund
• fruitful
• luxuriant
• productive
• creative
• abundant
• inventive
• generative
• generous
• plentiful
• producing
• fructuous
• cornucopian
• fat
• bountiful
• bearing
• copious
• yielding
• thriving
• original
• liberal
• bursting
• blooming
• flourishing
• plenteous
• teeming
• abounding
• plenitudinous
• swarming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sterile
• barren
• dead
• unproductive
• infertile
• unfruitful
• sparse
• unfertile
• meager
• skimpy
• scanty
• scant
• spare
• skimp

lush

2 of 2

noun

1

as in alcoholic

a person who makes a habit of getting drunk

she accused him of being a lush and a spendthrift

Synonyms & Similar Words

• alcoholic
• drunk
• soak
• inebriate
• dipsomaniac
• rummy
• soaker
• sot
• drunkard
• drinker
• boozer
• tippler
• alkie
• souse
• toper
• juicer
• boozehound
• tosspot
• juicehead
• swiller
• swigger
• wino

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• teetotaler
• abstainer
• nondrinker
• teetotalist

2

as in alcohol

slang a distilled beverage that can make a person drunk

you guys can drink if you want, but I'm laying off the lush

Synonyms & Similar Words

• alcohol
• drink
• booze
• liquor
• rum
• bottle
• wine
• strong drink
• spirits
• juice
• beer
• ardent spirits
• vodka
• stimulant
• intoxicant
• whiskey
• tipple
• ale
• brandy
• aqua vitae
• sauce
• hooch
• grog
• potable
• firewater
• tequila
• moonshine
• inebriant
• John Barleycorn
• sake
• pop
• gin
• cocktail
• belt
• load
• slug
• mixed drink
• brew
• chaser
• aperitif
• snort
• shot
• nip
• mead
• shooter
• malt liquor
• nightcap
• nappy
• peg
• liqueur
• mum
• tot
• snifter
• mescal
• whet
• home brew
• bracer
• schnapps
• brewage
• microbrew
• barley-bree
• digestif
• Dutch courage
• brewski
• mao-tai

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mix
• nonintoxicant
• pop
• soft drink
• mixer
• soda
• soda pop
• mocktail

Synonym Chooser

How is the word lush distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of lush are exuberant, lavish, luxuriant, prodigal, and profuse. While all these words mean "giving or given out in great abundance," lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

When would exuberant be a good substitute for lush?

The words exuberant and lush can be used in similar contexts, but exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

When is lavish a more appropriate choice than lush?

The meanings of lavish and lush largely overlap; however, lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

When is it sensible to use luxuriant instead of lush?

The words luxuriant and lush are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

When could prodigal be used to replace lush?

In some situations, the words prodigal and lush are roughly equivalent. However, prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

When can profuse be used instead of lush?

Although the words profuse and lush have much in common, profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of lush

Adjective

The right shrubs can turn low-light areas into the lushest part of your landscape—with layered foliage, dramatic texture, and blooms that brighten even the darkest corners. —Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 19 May 2026

The silky green ribbon of the Merced River meanders through the valley floor below, astonishingly lush during the spring snow melt. —Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026

Noun

The key moment in the film is a montage of the lovers absconding to Chris’s Malibu getaway for a trip that’s ridiculously, car-commercial lush. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2024

Verdict: Mulligan’s kooky cameo imbues this tragic lush with a dash of camp. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023

Phrases Containing lush

• lush (up)