epicurean

[ep-i-kyoo-ree-uhn, -kyoor-ee-]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR epicurean ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

fond of or adapted to luxury or indulgence in sensual pleasures; having luxurious tastes or habits, especially in eating and drinking.

fit for an epicure: epicurean delicacies.

(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of Epicurus or Epicureanism.

noun

an epicure.

(initial capital letter) a disciple of Epicurus.

Origin of epicurean

1350–1400; Middle English Epicurien < Latin Epicūrē(us) of Epicurus (< Greek Epikoúreios) + -an

Related formsnon·ep·i·cu·re·an, adjective, nounun·ep·i·cu·re·an, adjective

Synonyms for epicurean

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR epicurean ON THESAURUS.COM

2. gourmet, luxury, lavish, deluxe, rich.

Antonyms for epicurean

2. austere, simple, plain, modest, frugal.

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

Related Words for epicurean

gourmet, libertine, lush, hedonist, sensualist, connoisseur, specialist, gastronome, sybarite, critic, glutton, gourmand, epicure, gluttonous, luxurious, self-indulgent, sensual, sensuous, voluptuous, hedonistic

Examples from the Web for epicurean

Contemporary Examples of epicurean

NYC is having its worst year in restaurant closures, and only one thing is certain: its epicurean reign is in trouble.
High Rents Are Killing the Restaurant Capital
Will Doig
October 28, 2014
Forget the beach, have an epicurean adventure this summer at one of America's excellent food festivals.
America’s Best Summer Food Festivals
Lonely Planet
July 5, 2014
Barbie Latza Nadeau on the unforgiving world of epicurean rankings.
The Death of Star Chef Bernard Loiseau
Barbie Latza Nadeau
January 25, 2013
DeVoto and Child were two epicurean explorers who were able to create a window into the current American food scene.
This Week's Hot Reads
The Daily Beast
December 22, 2010
Once an epicurean, caviar-flecked deviled egg emerges on a menu on South Beach, it will be widely copied throughout the nation.
6 Food Trends That Should Disappear
Jacquelynn D. Powers
June 25, 2010

Historical Examples of epicurean

The pheasant was exquisite, and I ate with an epicurean enjoyment.
A Day's Ride
Charles James Lever
Rabbi as thou art, thou art an Epicurean; thou sittest in the seat of the scorner.
Dreamers of the Ghetto
I. Zangwill
It's as epicurean a distinction as any ever made by theologians.
The Book of the Damned
Charles Fort
When she did this it was an epicurean thing, savoury, hot, satisfying.
Gigolo
Edna Ferber
And with a stanza of Epicurean optimism from Horace the Essay closes.
A History of French Literature
Edward Dowden

British Dictionary definitions for epicurean

epicurean

adjective

devoted to sensual pleasures, esp food and drink; hedonistic

suitable for an epicurean epicurean feast

noun

an epicure; gourmet

Derived Formsepicureanism, noun

Epicurean

adjective

of or relating to the philosophy of Epicurus

noun

a follower of the philosophy of Epicurus

Derived FormsEpicureanism, noun

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 epicurean

late 14c., "follower of the philosophical system of Epicurus;" 1570s, "one devoted to pleasure," from Old French Epicurien, or from epicure + -ian. As an adjective, attested from 1580s in the philosophical sense and 1640s with the meaning "pleasure-loving."