Definition of felicitousnext
1
as in pleasant
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses a felicitous accompaniment to dinner is provided by a pianist on weekends at the restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective felicitous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of felicitous are appropriate, apt, fitting, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When is appropriate a more appropriate choice than felicitous?

While in some cases nearly identical to felicitous, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When might apt be a better fit than felicitous?

Although the words apt and felicitous have much in common, apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When would fit be a good substitute for felicitous?

The meanings of fit and felicitous largely overlap; however, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When could fitting be used to replace felicitous?

In some situations, the words fitting and felicitous are roughly equivalent. However, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to felicitous?

While the synonyms happy and felicitous are close in meaning, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When is it sensible to use meet instead of felicitous?

The words meet and felicitous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When can proper be used instead of felicitous?

The synonyms proper and felicitous are sometimes interchangeable, but proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

In what contexts can suitable take the place of felicitous?

The words suitable and felicitous can be used in similar contexts, but suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of felicitous No surprise, then, the old playbook is in tatters without a sufficiently clear pathway to a more felicitous future. — Paul Laudicina, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Yet the private life of the royal couple was rumored to be a far from felicitous one, with many stories of infidelities trickling out before and after the princess was killed in a car crash in 1982 at the age of fifty-two. — Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 Mar. 2025 The screenplay that Gracey wrote with Simon Gleeson and Oliver Cole is less felicitous. — Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024 And in one of those felicitous culinary accidents like the Toll House cookie, wound up with a gluten-free product. — Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for felicitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felicitous
Adjective
  • Brisbane 2032 vice president Tim Mander and chief marketing officer Brent Hill told the weekend news conference the accidental release was a pleasant surprise.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • And the owners’ taste, in this case, is pleasant and broadly appealing, complimenting the home’s high ceilings and historic features.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 5 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The program aims to keep used textiles out of general waste and mixed recycling bins, preserve clothing for reuse and improve the supply of material suitable for fiber-to-fiber recycling.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Secondhand platforms helped the team pinpoint suitable dupes for décor and furniture.
    — Mekita Rivas, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The delightful casting choices were made by the brand’s Creative Director, Miuccia Prada, who has always seemed to pride herself on taking a direction least expected.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Grapes for this delightful white are grown in ocean floor sedimentary soils that contain quartz crystals.
    — Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • But appropriate counseling depends on the precise diagnosis, gestational age, associated abnormalities, prognosis and maternal circumstances.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Schools must balance their responsibility to decide what material is appropriate for younger students with students’ First Amendment rights to receive information and ideas.
    — Susan Farrell, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • This countertop-friendly frozen dessert machine features five delicious presets for ice cream, sorbet, gelato, smoothie bowls and frozen yogurt.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • And Michael Rishawn almost steals the show with his delicious comic turn as the restaurant host, as well as other ancillary characters.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 1 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Sarah Jessica Parker knows a thing or two about memorable footwear, and her latest New York City Ballet appearance was a fitting take on the art of the statement shoe.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Engineers are currently fitting precision instruments and sensors inside the vessel.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • But Dunnigan’s pick-six late in the game — combined with the win — made this an enjoyable and successful night for the freshman from Kansas.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Later, Mars trines Neptune in your 5th House and brings your adventurous energy somewhere much more enjoyable.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Months later, a report found the state hadn't complied with its own lethal injection process since its revision in 2018, resulting in executions being conducted without proper testing of the drugs.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Guadagnino speaks in calligraphy; adjectives almost certainly accompany a proper name — the extraordinary, the wonderful, the genius.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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