What does sumptuous mean?
Sumptuous means exceptionally rich, luxurious, and lavish. It is especially associated with food, banquets, clothing, furnishings, architecture, and other settings that display costly materials, generous quantities, or striking beauty. The word carries an admiring sense of abundance and splendor, making it stronger and more dramatic than simply saying that something is nice or expensive. It can also sound deliberately exaggerated or ironic when describing conspicuous display. In a sentence such as “the guests enjoyed a sumptuous banquet,” the adjective implies not merely an elaborate meal but one marked by exceptional richness and ceremony. Sumptuous is equally effective for describing visual luxury, as in a sumptuous dress or sumptuous surroundings. Its tone is more formal and elevated than the everyday word lavish, and it is used in both British and American English.
adjectiveRichly luxurious; characterized by lavishness, abundance, or expensive beauty. It often describes food, furnishings, clothing, or surroundings that are exceptionally splendid or materially costly.
- Exceptionally luxurious, lavish, or costly in appearance or quality.
"The guests were treated to a sumptuous banquet beneath a canopy of silk and candlelight."
"The hotel suite was sumptuous, with velvet furnishings and a marble bathroom."
"Her sumptuous dress dominated the room."
"They celebrated the occasion with a sumptuous feast."
Sumptuous began in a place where money was literally on the menu: its Latin root referred to expense, so the word has always carried the flavour of extraordinary indulgence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sumptuous come from?
Sumptuous comes from the Latin adjective sumptuosus, meaning “of expense” or “expensive,” derived from sumptus, “expense” or “cost,” a form related to the verb sumere, “to take.” The word entered English in the early 17th century in the sense of costly or extravagant and gradually became associated with luxury and abundance. Its Latin relatives include sumptuary, concerning the regulation of expenditure, and words such as assume, consume, and subsume that share the underlying root of taking or using.
Related word forms
How sumptuous is actually used
Sumptuous is formal and somewhat literary, with a strongly positive and often celebratory tone. It can also be used ironically to suggest excessive expense or ostentatious luxury.
Easily confused with sumptuous
Sumptious is a less common variant spelling of sumptuous and generally has the same meaning, while sumptuous is the standard modern form.