delectable
Americanadjective
-
delightful; highly pleasing; enjoyable.
a delectable witticism.
- Synonyms:
- entertaining, amusing, agreeable, gratifying, pleasurable
- Antonyms:
- distasteful, disagreeable
-
delicious.
a delectable dinner.
- Antonyms:
- distasteful, disagreeable
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of delectable
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin dēlectābilis delightful, equivalent to dēlectā ( re ) to delight (frequentative of dēlicere to entice) + -bilis -ble
Explanation
Something delectable is extremely delicious or appealing. Nothing tastes better at the end of a meal than an array of delectable desserts and pastries! Don't let the de- at the beginning of delectable fool you. There is nothing negative about this word. Related to delicious through the Latin word for delight, if something is delectable, it is very tasty! Maybe your mom has promised you a delectable dinner of lobster and steak for your birthday meal?
Vocabulary lists containing delectable
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Prisoner B-3087
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The City of Ember
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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.
Dates are saccharine — they’ve got rich, prominent notes of honey, caramel and warm vanilla, which are indeed delectable, yet can be pretty intense on the palate.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Despite the vast trove of limited series available these days, over-the-top ‘80s-style melodramas like this, sagas laced with delectable malice, simply do not exist today. “
From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026
Despite Jane Wickline’s delightfully awkward cringe and Sarah Sherman’s delectable insanity, only one “Saturday Night Live” cast member picks up votes this round.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
The result: I took an inexpensive yoga class at a beautiful studio, and I ate the most delectable pastry I’ve ever had.
From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026
It smelled like Babulya’s most delectable tinctures, when she took the most aromatic of her plants and stewed them into good magic.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
