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

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 luxurious What To Know The property, located at 2160 Ibis Isle Rd, features two bedrooms and two bathrooms within its 1,567 square feet, offering luxurious accommodations and scenic oceanfront views. David Faris, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025 Neighboring ski resorts were spending tens of millions on luxurious makeovers and marketing themselves to a more affluent clientele. David Goodman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025 Pop them into a towel warmer before hopping in the shower for an extra luxurious touch. Clint Davis, People.com, 23 Feb. 2025 The tour included a visit to Lanvin’s Vic Room, an archival space that hosts some of the maison’s most iconic creations, including the whimsical Python Cat Bag, a piece that exemplifies Lanvin’s playful yet luxurious aesthetic. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for luxurious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for luxurious
Adjective
  • Jean, 36, began experimenting with these sensual voiceovers in 2023.
    Leah Asmelash, CNN, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Free from the arc of awards season, the fashion world set their eyes squarely on Paris Fashion Week’s debuts: first, Haider Ackermann’s sensual take on Tom Ford, and now, to Burton at Givenchy.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • After stocking up on new launches and bestsellers, shoppers can receive a deluxe Ultra Facial Cream, Powerful Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate, Creamy Avocado Eye Cream and more courtesy of Kiehl’s.
    Julia Teti, WWD, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The package includes a two-night stay in a deluxe king or executive king suite and picnic bites for the boat tour created by Chef Fabio.
    Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • They’re relied upon to provide hedonistic escape through their music, but also positioned as imperfect civil saviors operating under the structure of capitalism and the inherent parasocial power dynamics at play.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 1 Mar. 2025
  • On Salvation, the singer’s hedonistic 7-track project, Black assumes the position as your new favorite pop girl.
    Stephen Daw, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • It is also known as Damask or Damascene rose and is revered for its luxuriant scent.
    Elise Taylor, Vogue, 24 Feb. 2025
  • Fukuda-san is perfectly bald, with a luxuriant mustache.
    Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • While Pia is preparing for her younger sister Sonal’s (Anoushka Chadha) lavish Indian wedding celebration, she's confronted with her mother's (Sindhu Vee) solution to her financial woes: a collection of valuable family heirloom jewelry that could solve all her money problems.
    Pooja Shah, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The night before his accident, Abbott and his wife had attended a lavish gala hosted by his law firm.
    Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Butte is located halfway between Glacier and Yellowstone national parks for convenient access to outdoor activities and beautiful places worth exploring.
    Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2025
  • There are six impossibly grand and beautiful suites here, including the Suite Gianvico, with its 18th-century wallpaper, velvet chairs, parquet floors and a freestanding bathtub overlooking the lake.
    Lysanne Currie, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • All three versions of the 2026 BMW iX are effortless, sumptuous, rich-feeling high-rise limousines, with a carbon-fiber body and the most extreme technology BMW can deliver.
    Michael Taylor, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
  • After releasing the album Oriente in 2017 — a sumptuous collage of dream pop melodies and art-rock moods — the Buenos Aires quartet played SXSW in 2019, recorded a 2021 live session for KEXP, and even placed a song in an Oreo commercial.
    Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Luxurious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/luxurious. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.

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