What does epicure mean?
An epicure is a person who takes deep, discriminating pleasure in fine food and drink — someone whose appreciation goes beyond mere hunger into the realm of taste, quality, and refinement. The word carries a positive, even flattering connotation: to call someone an epicure suggests sophistication and a well-trained palate, not greed or overindulgence. In everyday use, it appears in phrases like 'a true epicure' or 'an epicure's delight,' often in writing about restaurants, wine, travel, and cuisine. Its synonyms include gourmet, gourmand, gastronome, and bon vivant, each shading slightly differently — a gourmet emphasizes expert knowledge, while a gourmand may simply love eating heartily. What sets epicure apart is its literary flavor and its historical irony: it derives from the Greek philosopher Epicurus, who actually preached modest pleasure and simple living. Misunderstood for centuries as an advocate of luxury, his name gave English one of its most elegant words for a lover of good living.
nounA person who takes particular pleasure in fine food and drink; a connoisseur of gastronomic pleasures.
- A person with refined taste in food and drink who takes particular pleasure in eating well.
"An epicure to the core, he planned his holidays around the great restaurant cities of Europe."
"A lifelong epicure, she could distinguish a dozen olive oils by aroma alone."
"The hotel's tasting menu was designed for the epicure rather than the casual diner."
Standard plural; used when referring to multiple lovers of fine food collectively.
"The festival drew epicures from every corner of the country."
The word 'epicure' is actually an insult turned compliment — Epicurus taught that pleasure meant simple bread and water, but history remembered him as a glutton anyway.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of epicure
The word epicure entered English in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century, borrowed via French from Latin Epicurus, itself from Greek Epikouros, the name of the Athenian philosopher who founded the school of thought now called Epicureanism. Although Epicurus himself taught that pleasure consisted chiefly in simple, moderate living — friendship, tranquility, and freedom from pain — later generations caricatured him as a hedonist devoted to luxury. From this misreading came the sense of a person devoted to refined sensual enjoyment, especially good food and wine. Cognates appear across European languages, including French épicurien and related forms in other Romance languages.
Related word forms
How epicure is actually used
Slightly formal or literary in register, though widely understood. It carries a generally positive connotation of refinement and discrimination, distinguishing it from 'glutton' or 'gourmand,' which can imply excess. Some writers use it loosely for any enthusiastic eater, but careful usage reserves it for those with genuinely cultivated taste.
Easily confused with epicure
An epicurean is either a follower of the Greek philosopher Epicurus or an adjective describing sensual pleasure, while an epicure is simply a lover of fine food and drink.
A gourmet is specifically a connoisseur and judge of fine food and cooking, whereas epicure emphasizes the pleasure taken in eating rather than expertise.