epicurean

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

/ ˌɛp ɪ kyʊˈri ən, -ˈkyʊər i- /

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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.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of epicurean

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

SYNONYMS FOR epicurean

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

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ANTONYMS FOR epicurean

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

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

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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Barbie Latza Nadeau on the unforgiving world of epicurean rankings.
The Death of Star Chef Bernard Loiseau|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
Sensual pleasures were restored to the rank they held in the Epicurean philosophy.
Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe|John Robison
In the case of amber, since there is another different method of attracting, the Epicurean atoms cannot fit one another in shape.
On the magnet, magnetick bodies also, and on the great magnet the earth|William Gilbert of Colchester
History would have opened to the Epicurean poet a new dimension of nature and a more varied spectacle of folly.
Three Philosophical Poets|George Santayana
He was merely destructive of thought and epicurean in taste.
A Bed of Roses|W. L. George
A Stoic or Epicurean displays principles, which may not only be durable, but which have an effect on conduct and behaviour.
Lectures on the Philosophy of the Human Mind (Vol. 1 of 3)|Thomas Brown

British Dictionary definitions for epicurean

epicurean

/ (ˌɛpɪkjʊˈriːən) /

adjective

devoted to sensual pleasures, esp food and drink; hedonistic

suitable for an epicurean epicurean feast

noun

an epicure; gourmet

Derived Formsepicureanism, noun

Epicurean

/ (ˌɛpɪkjʊˈriːən) /

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

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."