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

Relevance

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 That breadth is a felicitous analog to the roaming comedy of the script. Scott Hocker, theweek, 5 Jan. 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 A couple of bright, shining hours can endow a day with a felicitous look and feel. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2023 The sporty coupe burbles, crackles and pops with each downshift, a felicitous experience for driver and passenger alike. Morgan Korn, ABC News, 9 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for felicitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felicitous
Adjective
  • What might have been a pleasant interlude turned into an unhappy five-year-old and another frustrating exercise requiring far more customer effort than necessary.
    Roger Dooley, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The series expands the universe in a pleasant, mostly unobtrusive fashion, with one-off episodes and fun guest stars like Terry Crews, Embeth Davidtz, Anthony Edwards, and, in its best episode, Parker Posey and Jillian Bell.
    Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • That’s because the duo has found much more suitable habitat for the animals than had been previously documented.
    ByRefael Kubersky, science.org, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Investments in securities entail risk and are not suitable for all investors.
    Andrew Rosen, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Baez was a delightful guest this week in late night.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Here are a few delightful spring activities to try in the next few weeks, from spotting migrant birds in your backyard to building your own container garden.
    Malaka Gharib, NPR, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The Board believes that this governance structure, combined with the risk assessment obligations placed on its subsidiaries related to the use of Artificial Intelligence, provide an appropriate level of oversight at this time and an independent Artificial Intelligence committee is not needed.
    Bob Zukis, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Routine blood work minimizes the chance of nutrient deficiencies and allows for appropriate adjustments to your supplement routine.4 Limit Alcohol The body absorbs alcohol more quickly after bariatric surgery.
    Amy Brownstein, MS, RDN, Verywell Health, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Thanks to its unique design, the Dutch oven’s lid doubles as a 10.25-inch cast-iron skillet that can easily be used to make your favorite cornbread, delicious cobblers, hot dips for parties, and much more.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Indulge in delicious cuisine and beverages, all while immersing yourself in the evening’s thrilling theme.
    Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • One that lingers, as intended, across the eight subsequent episodes, and gives the final season a fitting framework as a message of hope for the hopeless.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Cashman provided a fitting summary of Powerscourt’s mission towards the end of our conversation.
    Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Bulbs that aren't provided with the proper conditions are unlikely to produce flowers.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2025
  • However, in Illinois, a lawsuit has been filed against Samsara, alleging violations of the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) for capturing and storing drivers' facial scans without proper consent.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Between something that felt safer, more glamorous and more crowd pleasing, versus something that was a bit more potentially controversial, or something that some people might understand or not understand.
    Alison Edmond, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
  • Neural nets are getting better and better at putting together elements to form a result that’s pleasing to humans.
    David Galef, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on felicitous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!