Synonym Chooser

How is the word luxurious distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of luxurious are sensual, sensuous, and voluptuous. While all these words mean "relating to or providing pleasure through gratification of the senses," luxurious suggests the indulgence of sensuous pleasure inducing bodily ease and languor.

a luxurious hotel

When is it sensible to use sensual instead of luxurious?

The synonyms sensual and luxurious are sometimes interchangeable, but sensual tends to imply the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of the physical appetites as ends in themselves.

a life devoted to sensual pleasures

When is sensuous a more appropriate choice than luxurious?

In some situations, the words sensuous and luxurious are roughly equivalent. However, sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.

the sensuous delights of great music

When might voluptuous be a better fit than luxurious?

The meanings of voluptuous and luxurious largely overlap; however, voluptuous implies more strongly an abandonment especially to sensual pleasure.

a voluptuous feast

Examples 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 luxurious This is what's left of the Bella Hadid family's luxurious mansion. Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 Actor Steve Guttenberg weighed in on the devastating Los Angeles wildfires that have ravaged the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, billowing luxurious homes into grim ashes in its wake. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025 Brooklinen’s bedroom essentials—from cozy down comforters to luxurious memory foam pillows—will soon have you on your way to more restful nights. Rebecca Shinners, Architectural Digest, 10 Jan. 2025 Bella and her sister Gigi Hadid, 29, were raised at the luxurious Malibu mansion, which is also known as the Carbon Canyon Estate by their mom Yolanda. Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for luxurious 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luxurious
Adjective
  • We’re not focused on the destination here; this is about thoroughly enjoying the journey, one sensual moment at a time.
    Dominique Fluker, Essence, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The waltz becomes, thus, a nice, elegant, sensual, romantic, harmless way to welcome in a new year, to attempt, or at least pretend, to be optimistic.
    Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • To make room for a primary suite that occupies the second level, Taft-Gersten added a dormer at the back of the house to accommodate ample closets, a sitting area, and a deluxe bathroom.
    Stacie Stukin, Architectural Digest, 30 Dec. 2024
  • Following La Pantera Negra and its deluxe version, both released this year, Myke Towers surprises with a third album dubbed Lyke Miike.
    Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • In Pantera, the cops-and-robbers story matters a lot less than Nick’s intoxication with the wild, hedonistic life of a criminal and his growing bond with Donnie.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The antidote to a hedonistic season of life, for me, is recommitting to nights on my couch, cutting back on restaurant meals and cooking more often than not.
    Becky Hughes, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • One Madison’s slate of attractions includes a public gym (run by Chelsea Piers Fitness) so spacious and luxuriant that members might be tempted to move in.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 21 Nov. 2024
  • This was a man who had lengthy experience in surviving far from luxuriant conditions, firstly from his time living with the destitute of Paris and London as part of his first successful non-fiction volume and secondly as a fighter for the Republican cause in the Spanish Civil War.
    Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Through the 18th and into the 19th centuries, the Classical Revival house style represented a turn to simplicity after the lavish ornamentation of previous periods like French Rococo, and that clean austerity still has appeal today.
    Lauren Gallow, Architectural Digest, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Capital Public Radio has sued its former general manager, accusing him of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the station to fund a lofty lifestyle filled with lavish overseas trips, renovate his home residence, pay his children’s university tuition and more.
    Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • It’s made entirely from a luxurious Merino wool that’s gentle against the skin and incredibly warm, and beautiful ribbed detailing adds the perfect finishing touch to this classic piece.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 10 Jan. 2025
  • As the smoke began to clear after two days of intense fire, Pacific Palisades appeared more like a moonscape of destruction than an upscale neighborhood known for its ocean views, beautiful vistas and celebrity denizens.
    Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The additional guest bedrooms, equally as sumptuous, are located on another wing of the house, which awards plenty of privacy for homeowners in the primary suite.
    Emma Reynolds, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
  • And telling these stories requires sumptuous costuming, attention to historical detail and, of course, an appropriately regal setting.
    Alex Apatoff, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near luxurious

Cite this Entry

“Luxurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luxurious. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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