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.
an epicure.
(initial capital letter) a disciple of Epicurus.
devoted to sensual pleasures, esp food and drink; hedonistic
suitable for an epicure
an epicurean feast
1350–1400; Middle English Epicurien < Latin Epicūrē ( us ) of Epicurus (< Greek Epikoúreios ) + -an
Used as a noun or adjective, epicurean refers to a devotion to pleasure or refined, sensuous enjoyment, especially of good food and drink. Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher this word was named after, taught his students that pleasure was a sign of the good, and pain a sign of evil. Thus the "good life" was one filled with pleasure and the avoidance of pain. Over the centuries, epicurean has come to refer to the pursuit of the finer things in life, and the word has a whole host of great synonyms, including luxurious, voluptuous, hedonistic, and, as a noun, bon vivant.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“And tah-dah! Here we are: a stunning sage honey, aromatic and earthy, epicurean in its depth of flavor and elegant simplicity, inspired by the treats she enjoys at her home with her family.”
From MarketWatch • Dec. 4, 2025
The official Door County website calls them a "one-of-a-kind epicurean event," noting some other sides that aren't as often mentioned, from lemon wedges, coleslaw and bread to "fresh-baked Door County cherry pie" for dessert.
From Salon • May 27, 2024
While downtown can be a bit sleepy in winter, you’ll discover a bookstore, cafes, a fun vintage flea market, public art, a Mediterranean epicurean market, independent restaurants and the recently restored Admiral Theatre.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 14, 2024
This fascinating collection of essays is part memoir, part cookbook and part epicurean treatise — and employs Nigerian cuisine as a framework for analyzing Nigerian society, culture and folklore.
From New York Times • Feb. 7, 2024
The stoic, the platonist, and the epicurean, the polytheist, the dualist, and the trinitarian differ entirely in their conceptions of its meaning.
From The Radicalism of Shelley and Its Sources by MacDonald, Daniel J.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
