delicious

[dih-lish-uhs]

adjective

1. highly pleasing to the senses, especially to taste or smell.

   a delicious dinner;

   a delicious aroma.

   Synonyms: delicate, dainty, delectable, savory, palatable
   Antonyms: unpleasant

2. very pleasing; delightful.

   a delicious sense of humor.

noun

1. (initial capital letter),  a red or yellow variety of apple, cultivated in the U.S.

delicious

/ dɪˈlɪʃəs /

adjective

1. very appealing to the senses, esp to the taste or smell

2. extremely enjoyable or entertaining

   a delicious joke

Other Word Forms

• deliciously adverb
• deliciousness noun
• hyperdelicious adjective
• hyperdeliciously adverb
• hyperdeliciousness noun
• overdelicious adjective
• overdeliciously adverb
• overdeliciousness noun
• undelicious adjective
• undeliciously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of delicious¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin dēliciōsus, equivalent to Latin dēliciae “delight” + -ōsus -ous

Word History and Origins

Origin of delicious¹

C13: from Old French, from Late Latin dēliciōsus, from Latin dēliciae delights, charms, from dēlicere to entice; see _delight

Synonym Study

Delicious, luscious refer to that which is especially agreeable to the senses. That which is delicious is highly agreeable to the taste or sometimes to the smell: a delicious meal. Luscious implies such a luxuriant fullness or ripeness as to make an object rich: a luscious banana; a luscious beauty; luscious music.

Example Sentences

“This first-in-the-nation law builds on that work to make sure every California student has access to healthy, delicious meals that help them thrive.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When asked about their experiences around the massive popularity of “KPop Demon Hunters,” the trio offered words including “surreal,” “scrumptious” “delicious,” “stunning” and “bonkers.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Queuing for "pleasurable activities" - like shopping for luxury items, a bargain, or delicious food - creates a "distinctly different" feeling to queuing for something more mundane like buying your groceries, she says.

Read more on BBC

They were making it out of cassava flour, which is delicious, not heavy, and no gluten and all of that, and with cheese.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Despite the limited-time rebrand, Maxwell Apartment will continue to deliver the “same delicious taste, aroma, quality and ingredients.”

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• appetizing 
• delectable 
• delightful 
• distinctive 
• enjoyable 
• enticing 
• exquisite 
• heavenly 
• luscious 
• piquant 
• pleasant 
• rich 
• savory 
• spicy 
• sweet 
• tasty 
• tempting 
• yummy 

When To Use

Spelling tips for delicious

The word delicious is hard to spell because it is spelled very differently from the way it is pronounced [ dih-lish-uhs ]. How to spell delicious: A deli is a place that sells sandwiches with Cheese, Iceberg lettuce, Onions, and Usually Salami (-CIOUS). This tasty sentence reminds you how to spell deli-cious.