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

It’s about taking humble ingredients and, with skill and time, making them taste as delicious as possible.

From Salon

The event is expected to draw roughly 100,000 people for culinary demonstrations, panels on sustainable agriculture and food politics, live music, and of course, delicious food.

From Los Angeles Times

It doesn’t need time to marry; it’s delicious the moment you stir it together.

From Salon

Paul Hollywood also agreed that they were “delicious.”

From Salon

And his easy connection with the crowd made me wonder for a delicious moment if the producers might have bravely hidden a bait-and-switch.

From 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.