sumptuous means magnificent, luxurious, splendid. It carries an Arena rating of 1863, earned across 52 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, sumptuous ranks #160 of 42,762 for Qualifying, #1,385 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,401 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,700 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say.
sumptuous is pronounced /ˈsʌmptʃuəs/.
Why “sumptuous” is a great word
Magnificent, luxurious, and splendid, especially in a way that involves great expense. From Middle French sumptueux, from Latin sumptuōsus ("expensive, costly"), from sūmptus ("cost, expense"), from sumere ("to take, consume, buy"). Unlike "lavish," which emphasizes extravagant outpouring, or "opulent," which can carry a sheen of gilded excess, sumptuous is the quiet hum of quality felt beneath fingers trailing over crushed velvet, the deep warmth of a firelit room walled in old mahogany, the first bite of chocolate melting slow on the tongue—richness not shouted but absorbed, a comfort earned by expense yet softened by taste.
Etymology
From Middle French sumptueux, from Latin sumptuōsus, from sūmptus (“cost, charge, expense”), from sumō (“to take”) + -tus (noun formation suffix).
adj
- Magnificent, luxurious, splendid.e.g.“sumptuous feast”
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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