lush

1 of 3

adjective

1
a
: growing vigorously especially with luxuriant foliage
lush grass
b
: lavishly productive: such as
(1)
: fertile
lush farmland
(2)
: thriving
the lush idealism of the prewar periodF. B. Millett
(3)
: characterized by abundance : plentiful
lush campaign contributionsFulton Lewis
(4)
: prosperous, profitable
firms with lush contracts
2
a
: savory, delicious
a lush apple pie
b
: appealing to the senses
the lush sounds of the orchestra
c
: opulent, sumptuous
lush accommodations
lushly adverb
lushness noun

lush

2 of 3

noun

1
slang : intoxicating liquor : drink
2
: a habitual heavy drinker : drunkard

lush

3 of 3

verb

lushed; lushing; lushes

transitive verb

1
slang : to consume (alcohol)
I left the clinic, went to a restaurant, and began lushing beer …Norma McCorvey
often used with up
lushing up Prohibition gin …Lawrence Lipton
'Tis the season for spiked eggnog. … But what if you never touch alcohol or need a break from lushing it up?Sheila Livadas
2
slang : to ply (someone) with alcohol
often used with up
He found them in Fleet Market, and lushed them up with gin.Patrick Pringle

intransitive verb

: to consume alcohol : drink sense 2
often used with up
"I've been lushing up here and there, which is bad for the intestine and doesn't help the soul much either …"John Clellon Holmes, quoted in Brother-Souls: John Clellon Holmes, Jack Kerouac, and the Beat Generation
Choose the Right Synonym for lush

profuse, lavish, prodigal, luxuriant, lush, exuberant mean giving or given out in great abundance.

profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

Examples of lush in a Sentence

Adjective The frequent rainfall encourages the lush growth of trees, ferns, and shrubs. She always wanted to live on a lush Caribbean island. The hills are lush with deep, thick grass. a lush and fruity wine Noun He's just an old lush. she accused him of being a lush and a spendthrift Verb frat boys lushing up on beer during freshman rush
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
The In Full Colour: Dale Chihuly exhibition, is carefully set within the lush rainforest environment of the Botanical Garden’s Bicentennial Conservatory, and gives visitors an up-close and personal look at Chihuly's creations. Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 He’s best associated with the gleaming, lush sound of jazz and pop in the ’70s and ’80s, as most famously heard on Michael Jackson’s albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
Verdict: Mulligan’s kooky cameo imbues this tragic lush with a dash of camp. Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023 Elliot is a rapacious, omnivorous lush with a God complex; Beverly is a repressed, anxious lesbian with a morality complex. The Rachel Weisz Gay Index, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for lush 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English lusch soft, tender

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Adjective

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lush was in 1610

Dictionary Entries Near lush

Cite this Entry

“Lush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lush. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

lush

adjective
ˈləsh
1
: being juicy and fresh
lush grass
2
: covered with thick healthy growth
lush pastures
lushly adverb
lushness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lush

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!