fruity

adjective

ˈfrü-tē 

fruitier; fruitiest

1

a

: relating to, made with, or resembling fruit

a fruity flavor/aroma

a fruity dessert

Apples are perfect little packages of fruity delight.

—Amanda Kooser

b

: having the flavor or aroma of ripe fruit

There are a number of bright, fruity reds, made from … merlot, pinot noir, and other better-known [grape] varieties.

—Saveur

2

a

: richly satisfying : extremely effective, interesting, or enjoyable

The night is warm and fruity, and as they turn onto a narrow road a salty ocean smell engulfs them and recedes.

—Jane Mendelsohn

b

: sweet or sentimental especially to excess

… published an excellent account …, to the harrowing details of which it devoted much fruity sentiment and morbid imagination.

—Winston Churchill

c

of a voice : rich and deep

His more leisured age preferred fruity orotundity in a public figure, and Everett tried through his career to oblige.

—Robert Stone

They … have long clever brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can get it).

—J. R. R. Tolkien

3

dated slang, usually disparaging : gay

… a spate of German magazines and books have begun making claims that Der Fuhrer was fruity—but only in the most circumspect and clandestine orchards. An entire alternate life was allegedly constructed so he could dally with—I'm not sure who.

—Bruce Vilanc

4

slang : wacky, silly

While some condemned Atlantis as completely fruity, others actually joined the commune.

—Mary Braid and Jan McGirk

fruitily adverb

fruitiness noun

Synonyms

• chocolate-box
• cloying
• corny
• drippy
• gooey
• lovey-dovey
• maudlin
• mawkish
• mushy
• novelettish
• saccharine
• sappy
• schmaltzy
• sentimental
• sloppy
• slushy
• soppy
• soupy
• spoony
• spooney
• sticky
• sugarcoated
• sugary
• wet

Examples of fruity in a Sentence

She acts a little fruity.

letters in which his effusive declarations of love are interlaced with snatches of fruity poetry

Recent Examples on the Web

For the uninitiated, wine gums are firm, fruity gummy candies that contain no wine and lodge in your teeth—like Swedish fish, but stickier. —Mackenzie Chung Fegan, Bon Appétit, 11 Nov. 2022

Retailers like SkinStore and Sephora have tons of options to choose from, whether your taste is ultra-fruity or intensely earthy. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 27 May 2022

Retailers like Nordstrom and Sephora have tons of options to choose from, whether your taste is ultra-fruity or intensely earthy. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 19 Feb. 2022

This fun, super-fruity, light red wine is made from a southern French grape variety that’s rarely seen as a varietal bottling. —Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Apr. 2021

Word History

Etymology

fruit entry 1 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

fruity

adjective

ˈfrüt-ē 

fruitier; fruitiest

: relating to or suggesting fruit

a fruity smell