Word of the Day
Word
Voluptuous (adj.) Listen
Difficulty
H — Levels range from A to J. What is my level?
Definition
Devoted to the pleasures of the senses, luxury-loving, sensual, causing sensuous or sensual gratification, indulging to excess in sensual pleasure.
Details
In literature, Cleopatra personifies VOLUPTUOUSNESS. VOLUPTUOUS is from the Latin VOLUPTAS, pleasure, enjoyment, delight. VOLUPTUOUS and APHRODISIAC both suggest excessive delight in the gratification of the senses. APHRODISIAC refers specifically to sexual pleasures; VOLUPTUOUS is more general and applies to the gratification of all the senses. In the phrase: "A VOLUPTUOUS woman," the word is thought by 40% of adult readers to mean LARGE. This misconception may be due to some confusion of VOLUPTUOUS, luxury-loving, with VOLUME or with the adjective VOLUMINOUS, ample, bulky, large. Or the confusion may be with the words LUXURIOUS and LUXURIANT. LUXURIANT means abundant, exuberant in growth; LUXURIOUS is a synonym of VOLUPTUOUS. VOLUPTUOUS does not imply size. Of the three words VOLUPTUOUS, SENSUOUS, and SENSUAL, the last means unduly indulgent, carnal, a discreditable adjective. SENSUOUS applies to the nicer gratification of the senses. VOLUPTUOUS is softly sensuous, bordering on the sensual. Listen
Play the WordSmart Challenge vocabulary game and test your verbal prowess, then compare your score with thousands of other "Challengers". See what the verbal universe is excited about!
Word of the Day by Email
Fill out the information below to receive a new word by email everyday, free.
