luxurious
Americanadjective
-
characterized by luxury; ministering or conducive to luxury.
a luxurious hotel.
- Antonyms:
- squalid
-
given to or loving luxury; wanting or requiring what is choice, expensive, or the like.
a person with luxurious tastes.
- Synonyms:
- epicurean
-
given to pleasure, especially of the senses; voluptuous.
- Synonyms:
- self-indulgent, sensual
-
present or occurring in great abundance, rich profusion, etc.; opulent.
a luxurious harvest; music of luxurious beauty.
-
excessively ornate; overelaborate.
luxurious prose.
adjective
-
characterized by luxury
-
enjoying or devoted to luxury
-
an archaic word for lecherous
Usage
Luxurious is sometimes wrongly used where luxuriant is meant: he had a luxuriant (not luxurious ) moustache; the walls were covered with a luxuriant growth of wisteria
Other Word Forms
- luxuriously adverb
- luxuriousness noun
- overluxurious adjective
- overluxuriously adverb
- overluxuriousness noun
- preluxurious adjective
- preluxuriously adverb
- preluxuriousness noun
- quasi-luxurious adjective
- quasi-luxuriously adverb
- superluxurious adjective
- superluxuriously adverb
- superluxuriousness noun
- unluxurious adjective
- unluxuriously adverb
Etymology
Origin of luxurious
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word luxuriōsus. See luxury, -ous
Explanation
The adjective luxurious describes something that is of very high quality or expensive taste, like your luxurious living room filled with the softest rugs and gorgeous furniture hand-crafted in Italy. In the 14th century, luxurious didn't mean what it does today; it meant "lascivious, lecherous, unchaste." What happened? The invention of bling for one thing, and the rise of a culture that celebrates material pleasures. Today, luxurious translates as exclusive, comfortable, expensive and superior in quality, like a luxurious home featured in a magazine about rich people and their favorite things.
Vocabulary lists containing luxurious
Tuck Everlasting
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Pop Culture: March 2 - 8, 2019
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Words to Describe a Place
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Another Hanoi-based analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity, likened the government's pursuit of pricey projects to "a poor household trying to buy a luxurious Ferrari at all cost".
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
Millions of Angelenos flock to the newest, most luxurious and financially-aggressive pseudosciences in the name of health.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
The theme-park development follows earlier investments in luxurious beach resorts, state-of-the-art museums and vast sports facilities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026
When stirred through at the end, it thickens the tomato juices into something cohesive — salty, tangy, faintly luxurious.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026
The two women settled into the bridal parlor, a luxurious suite of rooms at Webb’s Union Hotel.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
