Luscious
adjective /ˈlʌʃ.əs/ — Richly appealing to the senses
Definition
Having a richly pleasant taste, smell, or appearance — richly satisfying in a way that suggests abundance and sensory pleasure.
Beyond the definition
The word for abundance that hasn't tipped into excess. Luscious pleasure is complete without being overwhelming.
Origin & history
Probably a Middle English alteration of 'delicious', influenced by 'lush'. The word itself sounds like what it means — full, rounded, appealing.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The fruit was luscious — cold and heavy with juice, the kind of sweetness you remember for years.
Her descriptions of the meal were so luscious the reader could almost taste it.
There is something luscious about very good prose — something that rewards slow reading.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Luscious” when the meaning fits your context: Having a richly pleasant taste, smell, or appearance — richly satisfying in a way that suggests abundance and sensory pleasure.
Synonyms
Antonyms
bland, dry, austere, meagre
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Smooth Creamy Culinary Transformation
A hand slowly drizzles oil into a whisked egg yolk mixture, creating a single, glossy, smooth, and rich-looking cream in a metal bowl.
Lusciousness describes sensory abundance and richness. The image captures this by focusing on the creation of a smooth, thick emulsion, where the sheen, texture, and viscosity of the mixture suggest an abundantly satisfying quality that pleases the senses and promises a rich, fulfilling experience for the palate.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Luscious" mean?
Luscious is adjective meaning: Richly appealing to the senses. Having a richly pleasant taste, smell, or appearance — richly satisfying in a way that suggests abundance and sensory pleasure.
Where does the word "Luscious" come from?
Probably a Middle English alteration of 'delicious', influenced by 'lush'. The word itself sounds like what it means — full, rounded, appealing.