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
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
This year, gorgeous examples in sumptuous colors and weaves will bring a storied look to spaces.
—Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026
Designed to drape effortlessly, the modal-spandex blend feels sumptuous and not at all restricting.
—Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
Read on for the best resorts across Arizona, from sumptuous spa escapes in Scottsdale to dreamy adobe cottages in Tucson.
—Asonta Benetti, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Sumptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumptuous. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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sumptuous
adjective
