sumptuous
adjective
Did you know?
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens may be a few of your favorite things, but are they sumptuous? Alas, though the best things in life are often free, sumptuous is a child of the Latin word sumptus, meaning “expense,” and it typically describes things that can only be had at some significant expense. A sumptuous lifestyle, for example, is more likely to involve silver-white bling than a silver-white winter that melts into spring. Sumptus has another English relation, this one tied even more closely to conspicuous consumption: sumptuary laws are largely historical regulations limiting extravagant expenditures and habits, especially on moral or religious grounds. (The sump in consumption is coincidental; that word comes from consume, which has its roots in Latin sumere meaning “to take up, take.”)
Examples of sumptuous in a Sentence
Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025
Suites feel sumptuous with their cream-on-cream décor: from the soft linens to stone floors; natural wood furniture to textural, sisal mats.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Ratatouille is one of Pixar’s finest masterpieces, and a heartwarming, visually sumptuous feast about artistic pursuit and ambition.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 26 June 2025
Unlike most slip-on sneakers, this one has laces, and every one of its details feels intentional: from that sumptuous texture right down to the dependable, supportive rubber sole that’s anything but bulky.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 25 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Sumptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumptuous. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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sumptuous
adjective
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