Synonym Chooser

How is the word opulent distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of opulent are affluent, rich, and wealthy. While all these words mean "having goods, property, and money in abundance," opulent suggests lavish expenditure and display of great wealth, more often applying to things than people.

an opulent mansion

Where would affluent be a reasonable alternative to opulent?

While the synonyms affluent and opulent are close in meaning, affluent suggests prosperity and an increasing wealth.

an affluent society

When can rich be used instead of opulent?

While in some cases nearly identical to opulent, rich implies having more than enough to gratify normal needs or desires.

became rich through shrewd investing

When is wealthy a more appropriate choice than opulent?

The words wealthy and opulent can be used in similar contexts, but wealthy stresses the possession of property and intrinsically valuable things.

wealthy landowners

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 opulent As the leader of LVMH with a 48% stake in the business, his fortune is largely at the whim of whether consumers are buying up opulent products like Louis Vuitton bags, TAG Heuer watches, and Dom Perignon champagne. Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2025 One Beverly Hills, a massive, $5 billion redevelopment doubling down on the opulent lifestyle of Beverly Hills, is on track to open in the spring of 2028. David Moin, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2025 But there’s more to it than just its opulent design. Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2025 Over the years, many locals have enjoyed a meal of fresh pastas, roasted meat or even just a stellar glass of wine inside the opulent restaurant or on Osteria I Nonni’s patio, which overlooks a pretty pond. Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for opulent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opulent
Adjective
  • Outside in the historic downtown, the imposing Mississippi County Courthouse, built over a century ago in Classical style with Ionic columns and a grand copper dome, also speaks of wealthier days.
    Didi Kirsten Tatlow, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • As white-collar jobs become increasingly oversaturated, the posting highlights how lucrative side hustles are taking place not only in corporate boardrooms but also in the living rooms of the ultra-wealthy.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The label doesn’t specify the thread count, but the sheets certainly felt soft and luxurious.
    Laura Itzkowitz, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025
  • In the early modern era, sugar was a valuable luxurious commodity, replacing honey as a sweetener.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The thrill of the unexplained is what prompts so many to take ghost tours, which often tell juicy and sometimes goosebump-inducing stories that give historic sites a richer context.
    Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025
  • The upper of the shoes is made from a rich suede in a burgundy wine color, which adds texture to the heels and serves as the backdrop for the colorful beaded spikes.
    Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Since its release in 1925 — 100 years and eight generations ago — the Rolls-Royce Phantom has maintained its position as the British ultra-luxury brand’s most expensive (and exclusive) model.
    Brett Berk, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2025
  • High-end luxury prices start at nearly five times that price, while ultra-luxury surge to more than 12 times the typical home price.
    Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But only once has the mercantile danced with the affluent to such sensuous effect in the realm of fiction.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The story centers on Angine (Amir), an affluent but unhappy woman who compulsively shops in an esteemed department store.
    Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • An informal cut, perhaps, though the top’s material — a luxuriant silk crepe — helped elevate the look.
    Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Beyond it is a three-hectare haven of silvery olive trees, luxuriant Washingtonia palms, and lawns where peacocks wander freely.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Abrams released The Secret of Us, her second album, in June 2024, and dropped the deluxe version that October.
    Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The prize is a 1-night stay in a deluxe suite at The Surrey Hotel during the months of October 2025-March 2026 and a complimentary 60-minute custom facial spa treatment.
    Vogue, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • One of the most lavish items in the collection actually survived the heist, though it was reportedly damaged when the thieves were interrupted by guards and dropped the piece to flee.
    Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The lavish palette consists of golds and purples, along with layered textures that glow against the desert light.
    David Morris, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Opulent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opulent. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

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