succulent

American  

[suhk-yuh-luhnt] / ˈsʌk yə lənt /

adjective

1. full of juice; juicy.

2. rich in desirable qualities.

3. affording mental nourishment.

4. (of a plant) having fleshy and juicy tissues.

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noun

1. a succulent plant, as a sedum or cactus.

succulent British  

/ ˈsʌkjʊlənt /

adjective

1. abundant in juices; juicy

2. (of plants) having thick fleshy leaves or stems

3. informal stimulating interest, desire, etc

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noun

1. a plant that is able to exist in arid or salty conditions by using water stored in its fleshy tissues

succulent Scientific  

/ sŭk′yə-lənt /

1. Any of various plants having fleshy leaves or stems that store water. Cacti and the jade plant are succulents. Succulents are usually adapted to drier environments and display other characteristics that reduce water loss, such as waxy coatings on leaves and stems, fewer stomata than occur on other plants, and stout, rounded stems that minimize surface area.

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Other Word Forms

• succulence
  noun
• succulency
  noun
• succulently
  adverb
• unsucculent
  adjective
• unsucculently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of succulent

1595–1605; < Late Latin sūculentus, equivalent to Latin sūc ( us ), succus juice + -ulentus -ulent

Explanation

Succulent means "juicy" and is often used to describe food. Think a succulent piece of meat, or berries so succulent you’re left sucking juice off your fingertips when you eat them. You can think of the word suck as hiding inside succulent––an orange you could pierce with a straw and suck the juice out of is succulent indeed. Or remember Desert Survival 101––find a cactus, an aloe, or another of the water-retaining plants known as succulents and drink from them.

Example Sentences

Succulent shrimp wrapped in a scant blanket of starch that would bring him back to Havana.

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2025

Succulent species range in size, shape and colour - some look like small multi-coloured buttons and some look like cacti, sprouting colourful flowers at certain times of the year.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2024

Succulent, peachy salmonberries and velvety thimbleberry bush fronds flank the entrance to the trail, blanketed in soft shade from the outstretched limbs of towering Western red cedar, Douglas fir and hemlock.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2023

Aug. 5-7 2022 Inter-City Cactus and Succulent Show & Sale features more than 1,400 rare and unusual plants on display and for sale at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, 301 N. Baldwin Ave. in Arcadia.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 2022

Succulent plants are less susceptible of the influence of light than any others.

From The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 20, No. 572, October 20, 1832 by Various

Related Words

• luscious
• moist
• tasty
• yummy