Definition of felicitousnext
1
as in pleasant
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses a felicitous accompaniment to dinner is provided by a pianist on weekends at the restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective felicitous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of felicitous are appropriate, apt, fitting, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When is appropriate a more appropriate choice than felicitous?

While in some cases nearly identical to felicitous, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When might apt be a better fit than felicitous?

Although the words apt and felicitous have much in common, apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When would fit be a good substitute for felicitous?

The meanings of fit and felicitous largely overlap; however, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When could fitting be used to replace felicitous?

In some situations, the words fitting and felicitous are roughly equivalent. However, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to felicitous?

While the synonyms happy and felicitous are close in meaning, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When is it sensible to use meet instead of felicitous?

The words meet and felicitous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When can proper be used instead of felicitous?

The synonyms proper and felicitous are sometimes interchangeable, but proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

In what contexts can suitable take the place of felicitous?

The words suitable and felicitous can be used in similar contexts, but suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of felicitous And in one of those felicitous culinary accidents like the Toll House cookie, wound up with a gluten-free product. Florence Fabricant, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024 Pebble Beach was not a felicitous meeting of land and sea. Doug Ferguson, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 Ellis-Bextor now joins Kate Bush in the league of criminally underrated British singers who have received a late-career reappraisal thanks to a felicitous TV or film sync. Vulture, 11 Jan. 2024 That breadth is a felicitous analog to the roaming comedy of the script. Scott Hocker, theweek, 5 Jan. 2024 See All Example Sentences for felicitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felicitous
Adjective
  • Shared fairness makes today’s agreements durable and pleasant.
    Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2026
  • Sellers may lose out this spring Spring is usually peak season for home sales as buyers return to the housing market, and the pleasant weather raises curb appeal for sellers.
    Alison Saldanha, Dallas Morning News, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
  • One way to make sure your hydrangeas look their loveliest is to plant them alongside suitable companion plants.
    Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Hall challenges my perspective (and my vocabulary) in delightful and sometimes devastating ways.
    The Know, Denver Post, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The smooth melody is joined by a charcheta and other experimental sounds, creating a delightful hybrid.
    Tere Aguilera, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Everyone is urged to properly dispose of cigarette butts, matches, and any other flammable items in appropriate containers.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 29 Mar. 2026
  • That plan ultimately goes awry, with Margot surviving the attack, smartly staged in a way that doesn’t completely ratchet up the violent tension, keeping the audience in an appropriate level of comfort while not compromising the narrative.
    David John Chávez, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Their first round consisted of the Dove, a delicious spin on a whiskey sour, made with plum, five spice, and Armagnac, and the Kuniyoshi, a sharp mix of mezcal, shochu, vermouth, and pineapple.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Amid all the excitement, Jin, Jimin, and V stop by Vogue’s kitchen to cook up a delicious dinner for Now Serving, a video series in which celebrities make their favorite dishes.
    Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • As is fitting for such an important event in science history, the launch was captured from a multitude of views in stunning images that immortalize this giant leap for humanity.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Apr. 2026
  • There has never been a more fitting opening to a season of a Bravo show than the marquee sign in front of Jax’s bar being taken down and unceremoniously plopped on the sidewalk.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Couples who approach retirement as a team often find the transition smoother and more enjoyable.
    Bruce Helmer, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
  • That makes for an enjoyable ride even if the pieces don’t always fit.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • City leaders in Brookhaven are reminding residents that cutting down trees without proper approval could come with consequences, as officials double down on efforts to preserve the city's tree canopy.
    Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
  • While there is no cure for the disease, shelters say proper cleaning protocols can help control its spread, and vaccination remains the most effective form of prevention.
    Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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