noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of plush
First recorded in 1585–95; 1920–25 plush for def. 2; from French pluche, syncopated variant of peluche, ultimately from Latin pilus “hair”
Explanation
Things that are plush are luxurious and a little over the top. A bedspread made of mink fur would be considered plush. Plush originally referred to a rich, soft type of fabric, and it’s now used to describe anything extravagant. A plush lifestyle is one only the wealthy can afford, with expensive restaurants, obedient servants, and fancy furniture. A plush living room is full of paintings and decorations. Someone who dresses in a plush way only buys the finest, most expensive clothing. Plush living is lavish living.
Vocabulary lists containing plush
Dear Martin
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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.
See Examples For:
Meanwhile, things like Legos and plush toys saw double-digit same-store sales gains in the second quarter.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
United are training at the plush Carton House hotel in Maynooth and have a friendly with Leeds United at Croke Park on 12 August.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
In Salzburg, Dudamel indulged the Vienna Philharmonic’s incomparable lushness, those plush strings, glowing winds, golden brass, voluminous timpani.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Bamboo and recycled paper give sustainability-minded shoppers some alternatives to wood-pulp paper towels and toilet paper, but critics find them rougher than they like or not plush enough.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Suddenly Moreau and the chair vanish and a different scene emerges inside the cage—a fancy living room with plush chairs and a large fireplace.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
While there were moments of piquancy and verve in the winds and brasses, the strings tamped out little flashes of fire and spark in favor of a plusher, more rounded sound.
From New York Times ● Apr. 19, 2023
Today, the chairs and couches look much plusher: They were re-upholstered during the Obama and Trump administrations and, following original specifications, packed with horse hair — including 86 pounds for each sofa.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 13, 2022
Employers are also offering plusher health care packages, including providing expanded mental-health coverage, to compete for talent.
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2022
While resting my doughs did not make any cookie chewier — in fact, it resulted in a softer, plusher texture across the board — the tweak did result in markedly better-tasting cookies.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2021
The president, my grandmother, rises from a seat that’s plusher than the rest.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
She and her sister, Marie-Jeanne, grew up in a luxurious apartment in the plushest district of the city.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025
In its plushest, most prolific pocket, ‘ulu trees, with their large, glossy-green leaves outstretched, hold court. The endemic māmaki shrub grows in sun-dappled spots around the ‘ulu.
From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2023
When he handed over power to his successor, Uhuru Kenyatta, in 2013, Kibaki retreated to his home in one of Nairobi’s plushest neighbourhoods, close to his beloved Muthaiga golf club.
From Reuters ● Apr. 22, 2022
I know you’ll watch over mom, dad, and I. I hope you’re in paradise right now ballin’ - with a ball right next to you on the plushest pitch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2020
It was outfitted like the plushest movie theater Coal had ever been to.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
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.
