Definition of luxuriousnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word luxurious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of luxurious are sensual, sensuous, and voluptuous. While all these words mean "relating to or providing pleasure through gratification of the senses," luxurious suggests the indulgence of sensuous pleasure inducing bodily ease and languor.

a luxurious hotel

When is it sensible to use sensual instead of luxurious?

The synonyms sensual and luxurious are sometimes interchangeable, but sensual tends to imply the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of the physical appetites as ends in themselves.

a life devoted to sensual pleasures

When is sensuous a more appropriate choice than luxurious?

In some situations, the words sensuous and luxurious are roughly equivalent. However, sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.

the sensuous delights of great music

When might voluptuous be a better fit than luxurious?

The meanings of voluptuous and luxurious largely overlap; however, voluptuous implies more strongly an abandonment especially to sensual pleasure.

a voluptuous feast

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 luxurious Staff members treat patrons like family, a welcome departure from the pretentiousness that sometimes comes with more luxurious bookings. — Joey Skladany, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026 While the polyester fabric isn’t ideal, I was impressed by the coat’s thickness and weight, which gave it a more luxurious feel than typical poly-blend coats. — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026 This luxurious adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic novel East of Eden, which tracks the dramatic entanglements of the Trask and Hamilton families in California's Salinas Valley, stars Florence Pugh, one of our favorite actresses right now. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026 Today, the Sunny Isles Beach skyline is among the most luxurious in South Florida. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for luxurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luxurious
Adjective
  • Billy Joel’s Turnstiles is getting the deluxe treatment for its 50th anniversary.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants deluxe anniversary edition is available now, wherever books are sold.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Mosaku’s dress was formfitting and merged timeless elegance with a scintillating, sensual appeal by contemporary standards.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Printing, embroidery and sequins gave the surfaces depth, though their richness sometimes competed with the sensual draping that is one of Tron’s strengths.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • That philosophy heavily shapes Varas’s work in ultra-luxury residential building.
    — Kelly Allen, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Several residents — Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis included — are raising concerns about a controversial plan to build four ultra-luxury glass towers that would rise 270 feet high on Fort Lauderdale’s landmark Pier Sixty-Six property.
    — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The happy couple, naturally, take occasional breaks to sip champagne, soak in a bubble bath and lasciviously feed each other ice cream amid the barely dressed, hedonistic debauchery.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In the series, which began its second season last month, Okeniyi plays Leighton Vance, billionaire tech chief; Leighton Vance, hedonistic nepo baby; and Leighton Vance, spiritual guru.
    — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Olivia Miles, the rookie point guard for the Minnesota Lynx, wears a pair of bug-eyed sports goggles, black and bulbous, sometimes held in place by a thick strap that runs through her luxuriant Afro.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • At the end of the fifth group, one girl’s face blossomed into a radiant flower, and another drew herself with luxuriant pigtails, standing beneath a bright red beating heart.
    — James Gordon, Time, 14 July 2026
Adjective
  • Marbella is once again attracting a moneyed, glamorous crowd, with sybaritic beach clubs, fashion pop-ups, standout restaurants, and sprawling spas that promise head-to-toe pampering.
    — Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2026
  • In its archetypal form, the seduction plot features a sybaritic aristocrat who attempts to debauch an upstanding daughter of the bourgeoisie.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Adjective
  • All gaps in time and momentum can be smoothed over by Laura Karpman’s lush and lavish score.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The black-tie event will feature live entertainment, a lavish dinner, and a major fireworks display across the Dubai skyline.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • With that, Dorinda gathers everyone (except for Chanel Ayan, who is too beautiful for the cold) out into the freezing night for the fireworks that end this celebration.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, this celestial crustacean has no star brighter than 4th magnitude and its only claims to fame are its membership in the zodiac and beautiful M44.
    — Joe Rao, Space.com, 4 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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