fruitier; fruitiest
1
a
: relating to, made with, or resembling fruit
a fruity flavor/aroma
a fruity dessert
Apples are perfect little packages of fruity delight.Amanda Kooser
b
: having the flavor or aroma of ripe fruit
There are a number of bright, fruity reds, made from … merlot, pinot noir, and other better-known [grape] varieties.Saveur
2
a
: richly satisfying : extremely effective, interesting, or enjoyable
The night is warm and fruity, and as they turn onto a narrow road a salty ocean smell engulfs them and recedes.Jane Mendelsohn
b
: sweet or sentimental especially to excess
… published an excellent account …, to the harrowing details of which it devoted much fruity sentiment and morbid imagination.Winston Churchill
c
of a voice : rich and deep
His more leisured age preferred fruity orotundity in a public figure, and Everett tried through his career to oblige.Robert Stone
They … have long clever brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can get it).J. R. R. Tolkien
3
dated slang, usually disparaging : gay
… a spate of German magazines and books have begun making claims that Der Fuhrer was fruity—but only in the most circumspect and clandestine orchards. An entire alternate life was allegedly constructed so he could dally with—I'm not sure who.Bruce Vilanc
4
slang : wacky, silly
While some condemned Atlantis as completely fruity, others actually joined the commune.Mary Braid and Jan McGirk
fruitily adverb
fruitiness noun

Examples of fruity in a Sentence

She acts a little fruity. letters in which his effusive declarations of love are interlaced with snatches of fruity poetry
Recent Examples on the Web For the uninitiated, wine gums are firm, fruity gummy candies that contain no wine and lodge in your teeth—like Swedish fish, but stickier. Mackenzie Chung Fegan, Bon Appétit, 11 Nov. 2022 Retailers like SkinStore and Sephora have tons of options to choose from, whether your taste is ultra-fruity or intensely earthy. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 27 May 2022 Retailers like Nordstrom and Sephora have tons of options to choose from, whether your taste is ultra-fruity or intensely earthy. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 19 Feb. 2022 This fun, super-fruity, light red wine is made from a southern French grape variety that’s rarely seen as a varietal bottling. Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Apr. 2021 See all Example Sentences for fruity 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fruity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fruity was in 1657

Dictionary Entries Near fruity

Cite this Entry

“Fruity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruity. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

fruity

adjective
fruitier; fruitiest
: relating to or suggesting fruit
a fruity smell

More from Merriam-Webster on fruity

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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