lush
1 Americanadjective
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(of vegetation) abounding in lavish growth
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(esp of fruits) succulent and fleshy
-
luxurious, elaborate, or opulent
noun
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a heavy drinker, esp an alcoholic
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alcoholic drink
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lush1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English lusch “slack”; of disputed origin; perhaps cognate with Old English lysu “bad,” lēas “lax,” Middle Low German lasch “slack,” Old Norse lǫskr “weak,” Gothic lasiws “weak”; alternatively, perhaps from Old French lasche “cowardly, loose,” adjective derivative of laschier “to loosen,” from Late Latin laxicāre, derivative of laxāre; see relax ( def. )
Origin of lush2
First recorded in 1780–90; perhaps facetious application of lush 1
Explanation
Lush describes something growing in abundance, like the lush green grass that covers the lawn in the spring. Lush usually describes thick healthy plant growth, like the jungles of the rainforest that were so lush you couldn't walk through without chopping down branches. (Then it wasn't so lush anymore...oops!) Lush also means "plush" or even "extravagant" — like a thick shag carpet, music with lots of layers, or a bedroom wallpapered in velvet. Plants full of juice are lush, which is perhaps why a person who drinks too much alcohol is called a lush.
Vocabulary lists containing lush
The Vernal Vocabulary of Spring
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The Things They Carried
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Lyddie
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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.
The track fuses West Coast serenity with East Coast grit: Lush keys evoke California’s glow while steady rim clicks and a sticky piano hook capture the rhythm of 1970s New York.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Lush romanticism, bloody action and a certain winking distance from the material keep Mr. Besson’s picture vivid if not quite compelling.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
Lush trees, flowering plants, and shaded courtyards frame the two-story property, whose centerpiece is a sparkling walk-in pool with direct access from lower-floor rooms and balconies overlooking the courtyard.
From Salon • Feb. 2, 2026
Lush has turned shopping into more of an experience with offerings such as spa treatments and parties for customers.
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025
Lush English gardens pop with color across an expanse of acreage.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
