luscious
Americanadjective
-
highly pleasing to the taste or smell.
luscious peaches.
- Synonyms:
- palatable, delectable
- Antonyms:
- unpalatable, disgusting
-
richly satisfying to the senses or the mind.
the luscious style of his poetry.
-
richly adorned; luxurious.
luscious furnishings.
-
arousing physical, or sexual, desire; voluptuous.
a luscious figure.
-
sweet to excess; cloying.
adjective
-
extremely pleasurable, esp to the taste or smell
-
very attractive
-
archaic cloying
Synonym Usage
See delicious.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of luscious
1375–1425; late Middle English lucius, unexplained variant of licius, aphetic variant of delicious
Explanation
Calling something luscious means it's appealing and incredibly pleasing to the senses. That goes for good-looking people as well as a rich piece of chocolate cake. An adjective meaning richly appealing or scrumptious, luscious is actually believed to be a shortened version of delicious. Synonyms include succulent, savory and enticing — all words that can also be used to either describe a perfectly cooked steak or your crush's unbelievable, irresistible lips.
Vocabulary lists containing luscious
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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Simply Scrumptious! Synonyms for "Delicious"
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"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 6–11
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Since 2022, she's cast a spell on the charts with swoonsome love songs that mix classic jazz vocals and luscious orchestrations with witty, confessional lyrics.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
Both leads are basically likable but unfortunately blank, Ms. Bailey especially, though they look suitably attractive when showered by sprinklers in vineyards full of luscious grapes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
Instead of heading right back to Chantel’s place, they make one more stop at a sunlit supermarket with spacious nooks and exposed brick walls, where the shelves offer gourmet canned tomatoes and luscious produce.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2025
There’s a quality of intelligent feeling redolent of Rosalind in “As You Like It” in Wicks’ affecting characterization and luscious singing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2025
The sensory details of the illusion are so luscious, it is almost dizzying.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
