voluptuous

[ vuh-luhp-choo-uhs ]

adjective

1. full of, characterized by, or ministering to indulgence in luxury, pleasure, and sensuous enjoyment:

   a voluptuous life.

2. derived from gratification of the senses:

   voluptuous pleasure.

3. directed toward or concerned with sensuous enjoyment or sensual pleasure:

   voluptuous desires.

4. sensuously pleasing or delightful:

   voluptuous beauty.

voluptuous

/ vəˈlʌptjʊəs /

adjective

1. relating to, characterized by, or consisting of pleasures of the body or senses; sensual
2. disposed, devoted, or addicted to sensual indulgence or luxurious pleasures
3. provocative and sexually alluring, esp through shapeliness or fullness

   a voluptuous woman

Derived Forms

• voˈluptuously, adverb
• voˈluptuousness, noun

Other Words From

• vo·luptu·ous·ly adverb
• vo·luptu·ous·ness vo·lup·tu·os·i·ty [v, uh, -luhp-choo-, os, -i-tee], noun
• unvo·luptu·ous adjective
• unvo·luptu·ous·ly adverb
• unvo·luptu·ous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of voluptuous¹

First recorded 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin voluptuōsus, equivalent to volupt(ās), “pleasure” + -ōsus -ous; -u- probably by association with sumptuōsus sumptuous

Word History and Origins

Origin of voluptuous¹

C14: from Latin voluptuōsus full of gratification, from voluptās pleasure

Synonym Study

See sensual.

Example Sentences

Babitz would have more adventures than most, growing up fast and voluptuous in Hollywood, reveling in almost every form of excess from sex to drugs to booze and still more sex — and never feeling the least bit of shame over any of it.

From Washington Post

Sandra Chen Weinstein, who also supplies a voluptuous close-up of a red-fleshed peach, photographs multiple sets of stylized lips projected on a building.

From Washington Post

Was it Shakespeare, in mad pursuit of a lovely boy and that voluptuous Dark Lady?

From The Daily Beast

Arriving at Bordelet's ciderie, we parked along a stone wall bedecked with vibrant, voluptuous yellow and red roses.

From The Daily Beast

It has an enormous dose of estrogen in it, leading to many voluptuous prisoners in New York state prisons.

From The Daily Beast

In escort circles, there are two brunette archetypes: the prim Audrey Hepburn type, and the voluptuous Ashley Dupré type.

From The Daily Beast

Voluptuous and enjoyable are two words you might select to describe a Rick Hertzberg column.

From The Daily Beast

California seemed less like a voluptuous leviathan blowing poppy-dust that blunted the memory of all things beyond her borders.

From Project Gutenberg

Her eyes, too, had a curious hard opaque look, as if the old voluptuous fires had burned out; and she seemed ever on her guard.

From Project Gutenberg

But the tender lines of Lucy's voluptuous figure covered a marble heart.

From Project Gutenberg

They absolutely revel in the most voluptuous indulgence of the nil admirari.

From Project Gutenberg

All three had brilliant white teeth, that shone like pearls against the ruby of their voluptuous lips.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• appealing
• delightful
• sensuous
• sexy