definitions

delicious

[ dih-lish-uhs ]
/ dɪˈlɪʃ əs /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR delicious ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

highly pleasing to the senses, especially to taste or smell: a delicious dinner; a delicious aroma.
very pleasing; delightful: a delicious sense of humor.

noun

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

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RELATED WORDS

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

Nearby words

delicacy, delicate, delicately, delicatessen, delicia, delicious, deliciously, deliciousness, delict, deligate, deligation

Origin of delicious

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French < Late Latin dēliciōsus, equivalent to Latin dēliciae delight + -ōsus -ous
Related forms

Synonym study

1. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for delicious

British Dictionary definitions for delicious

delicious

/ (dɪˈlɪʃəs) /

adjective

very appealing to the senses, esp to the taste or smell
extremely enjoyable or entertaininga delicious joke
Derived Formsdeliciously, adverbdeliciousness, noun

Word Origin for delicious

C13: from Old French, from Late Latin dēliciōsus, from Latin dēliciae delights, charms, from dēlicere to entice; see delight
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for delicious

delicious

adj.

c.1300 (implied in deliciously), from Old French delicios (Modern French délicieux), from Late Latin deliciosus "delicious, delicate," from Latin delicia (plural deliciae) "a delight, allurement, charm," from delicere "to allure, entice," from de- "away" (see de-) + lacere "lure, deceive" (related to laqueus "noose, snare;" see lace). As a name of a type of apple, attested from 1903, first grown by Jesse Hiatt of Iowa, U.S.A. Colloquial shortening delish is attested from 1920.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper