Synonyms of voluptuous

voluptuous

adjective

və-ˈləp(t)-shə-wəs 

as in sensual

pleasing to the physical senses

the voluptuous richness of the music

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sensual
• lush
• sensuous
• delicious
• pleasant
• delightful
• luxurious
• luscious
• carnal
• fleshly
• pleasing
• bodily
• corporeal
• delectable
• dreamy
• pleasurable
• scrumptious
• gratifying
• agreeable
• palatable
• epicurean
• self-indulgent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• painful
• uncomfortable
• harsh
• hideous
• disgusting
• foul
• icky

Synonym Chooser

How is the word voluptuous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of voluptuous are luxurious, sensual, and sensuous. While all these words mean "relating to or providing pleasure through gratification of the senses," voluptuous implies more strongly an abandonment especially to sensual pleasure.

a voluptuous feast

When is it sensible to use luxurious instead of voluptuous?

While the synonyms luxurious and voluptuous are close in meaning, luxurious suggests the indulgence of sensuous pleasure inducing bodily ease and languor.

a luxurious hotel

When can sensual be used instead of voluptuous?

The words sensual and voluptuous can be used in similar contexts, 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 might sensuous be a better fit than voluptuous?

The synonyms sensuous and voluptuous are sometimes interchangeable, but sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.

the sensuous delights of great music

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of voluptuous

Globe Photos / Alamy The provocative French melodrama about a voluptuous teenager who scandalizes Saint-Tropez was a box office smash both abroad and in the United States, despite mixed critical reviews and condemnation by watchdog groups like the National Legion of Decency. —Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 28 Dec. 2025

Dmitri is engaged to Katerina but has fallen head over heels for another woman, the voluptuous Grushenka, whom his father, too, has fallen for, while Ivan is in love with Katerina. —Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025

Some pieces feature voluptuous floral prints such as water lily and honeysuckle. —Rona Berg, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Our silhouettes, with their small waists and voluptuous curves, embody strength and elegance. —Ugonnaora Owoh, Essence, 4 Sep. 2025