succulent

American  

[suhk-yuh-luhnt] / ˈsʌk jə lənt /

adjective

1. full of juice; juicy.

2. rich in desirable qualities.

3. affording mental nourishment.

4. (of a plant) having fleshy and juicy tissues.

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noun

• succulents
  plural

1. a succulent plant, as a sedum or cactus.

succulent British  

/ ˈsʌkjʊlənt /

adjective

1. abundant in juices; juicy

2. (of plants) having thick fleshy leaves or stems

3. informal stimulating interest, desire, etc

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noun

1. a plant that is able to exist in arid or salty conditions by using water stored in its fleshy tissues

succulent Scientific  

/ sŭk′yə-lənt /

1. Any of various plants having fleshy leaves or stems that store water. Cacti and the jade plant are succulents. Succulents are usually adapted to drier environments and display other characteristics that reduce water loss, such as waxy coatings on leaves and stems, fewer stomata than occur on other plants, and stout, rounded stems that minimize surface area.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• succulence
  noun
• succulency
  noun
• unsucculent
  adjective
• succulently
  adverb
• unsucculently
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• succulents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of succulent

1595–1605; < Late Latin sūculentus, equivalent to Latin sūc ( us ), succus juice + -ulentus -ulent

Explanation

Succulent means "juicy" and is often used to describe food. Think a succulent piece of meat, or berries so succulent you’re left sucking juice off your fingertips when you eat them. You can think of the word suck as hiding inside succulent––an orange you could pierce with a straw and suck the juice out of is succulent indeed. Or remember Desert Survival 101––find a cactus, an aloe, or another of the water-retaining plants known as succulents and drink from them.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

succulent succulents

Served alongside native beach succulent, these Asian-style dumplings come topped with sesame seeds and a gochujang anise myrtle dressing.

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

Hunched over sizzling grills and shrouded in smoke, trainees at the Yueyang Barbecue Academy in southern China roast skewer after skewer of succulent beef tendon, perfecting the skills that could land them a restaurant job.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Marked by notes of spice and cherry, the deep red wine is soft, succulent and eminently drinkable—a wine for a special occasion or a Tuesday night with friends.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025

Nancy Helms stands on top of “dwarf carpet of stars,” a succulent plant that surrounds a large area of her home as a fire prevention method on Rocky Ledge Road in Topanga.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 24, 2025

He contemplated Harry for a moment as though he was a particularly large and succulent piece of pheasant, then said, ‘“The Chosen One,’ they’re calling you now!”

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

I was a big fan when succulents became a dumb little trend, because at least that was boosting an interest in plants rather than mass-produced ugly dolls from China or something.

From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026

Perea, who describes himself as a bargain shopper, is passionate about repurposing whatever he can; many of the succulents at the stadium came from his own clippings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

The spiky succulents are signifiers of what makes the desert special to people, said poet Ruth Nolan, the Mojave Desert literary laureate.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

Rust-colored mountains tower on the horizon, pale-green succulents defy the parched earth, Spanish-style shingles fill the scenery.

From Slate ● Feb. 23, 2026

A cutting of aloe vera that Lena gave me did not belong anywhere because we had no other succulents.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

Related Words

• luscious
• moist
• tasty
• yummy