lush
1 of 3adjective
ˈləsh 
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 period
F. B. Millett
F. B. Millett (3)
: characterized by abundance : plentiful
lush campaign contributions Fulton Lewis
Fulton 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 3noun
1
slang : intoxicating liquor : drink
2
: a habitual heavy drinker : drunkard
lush
3 of 3verb
lushed; lushing; lushes
transitive verb
slang
1
: to consume (alcohol)
I left the clinic, went to a restaurant, and began lushing beer … Norma McCorvey
—often used with up Norma McCorvey … 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
Lawrence Lipton'Tis the season for spiked eggnog. … But what if you never touch alcohol or need a break from lushing it up? Sheila Livadas2
: to ply (someone) with alcohol —often used with up
He found them in Fleet Market, and lushed them up with gin. Patrick Pringle
Patrick Pringleintransitive 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
John Clellon Holmes, quoted in Brother-Souls: John Clellon Holmes, Jack Kerouac, and the Beat Generation
Synonyms
Adjective
- green
- grown
- leafy
- luxuriant
- overgrown
- verdant
Noun
- alcoholic
- alkie [slang]
- alky
- boozehound
- boozer
- dipsomaniac
- drinker
- drunk
- drunkard
- inebriate
- juicehead [slang]
- juicer [slang]
- rummy
- soak
- soaker
- sot
- souse
- tippler
- toper
- tosspot
Verb
- bib
- booze
- drink
- guzzle
- liquor (up)
- soak
- tipple
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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 See More
Recent Examples on the Web Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 12 Sep. 2022 Wu’s vision translated to a supremely polished collection that blended crisp tailoring with artful draping, lingerie details and lush textures. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Sep. 2022 In essence, screenwriter Micah Bloomberg has ushered the audience into his lair, placed us atop a pile of lush rugs, and now pulls them out from under us one after the other. Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022 Nearly half a million acres of lush green farm fields stretched into the distance, irrigated by the dwindling Colorado. Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2022 The Dixboro House, the light-filled, refurbished barn overlooking lush woodlands and a live creek, offers a tasting menu experience with a fine-dining feel. Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2022 All the prepared bites were quickly claimed, leaving bare a lush display of toothsome raw vegetables. Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2022 Throughout history, long, lush hair has been linked to femininity and sensuality, said London hair historian Rachael Gibson. Amber Kallor, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 The last two installments of The Life of Pi’erre cemented him as a formidable torchbearer for the kind of melodic and lush raps his frequent collaborator Playboi Carti elevated during his early SoundCloud era. Dewayne Gage, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2022 Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2022 There, Sean Penn roars in as a old-studio lush as Tom Waits and other pals grin on the sidelines. New York Times, 25 Nov. 2021 Recently, Wizkid’s longtime friend Virgil Abloh created an tracksuit for the rapper to celebrate the lush Made in Lagos record. Tami Makinde, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2021 When cubed and roasted in a hot oven, butternut’s sugars rise to the surface, developing a caramel crust as the flesh turns velvety and lush. Beth Dooley Special To The Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 7 Oct. 2020 For visuals, Jamaica Giants Sculpture Park and Art Garden, a lush, high-elevation venue, houses paintings and stone sculptures by local artists. Kate Donnelly, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Feb. 2020 The service — a simple commuter shuttle — dives southward out of Bilbao into the lush, deep-green mountains of the Basque Country, before turning north to run along the coast toward San Sebastian. Will Hawkes, Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2020 Located near the Grassy Sound in Jersey, this lush, 19-acre island with views of the Wildwoods has taxes totaling less than $360 a year. Isabel Garcia, House Beautiful, 28 Feb. 2020 By Friday morning, three players will have already decamped from the lush, well-manicured IMG campus. Pat Brennan, Cincinnati.com, 20 Feb. 2020 See More
Adjective
In recent years, he's reinterpreted classic biblical scenes in a vivid, ethereal color palette against the lush backdrop of Maui, creating effervescent halos for his figures using long exposures of rotating lights. Jacqui Palumbo, CNN, 12 Sep. 2022 Wu’s vision translated to a supremely polished collection that blended crisp tailoring with artful draping, lingerie details and lush textures. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Sep. 2022 In essence, screenwriter Micah Bloomberg has ushered the audience into his lair, placed us atop a pile of lush rugs, and now pulls them out from under us one after the other. Amy Nicholson, Variety, 11 Sep. 2022 Nearly half a million acres of lush green farm fields stretched into the distance, irrigated by the dwindling Colorado. Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2022 The Dixboro House, the light-filled, refurbished barn overlooking lush woodlands and a live creek, offers a tasting menu experience with a fine-dining feel. Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2022 All the prepared bites were quickly claimed, leaving bare a lush display of toothsome raw vegetables. Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2022 Throughout history, long, lush hair has been linked to femininity and sensuality, said London hair historian Rachael Gibson. Amber Kallor, WSJ, 8 Sep. 2022 The last two installments of The Life of Pi’erre cemented him as a formidable torchbearer for the kind of melodic and lush raps his frequent collaborator Playboi Carti elevated during his early SoundCloud era. Dewayne Gage, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2022 Noun
The production and scenery are gorgeous; the score (by Max Richter) lush and haunting; the direction grand, immersive and occasionally hallucinatory; the performances seldom not pitch-perfect. Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2022 There, Sean Penn roars in as a old-studio lush as Tom Waits and other pals grin on the sidelines. New York Times, 25 Nov. 2021 Recently, Wizkid’s longtime friend Virgil Abloh created an tracksuit for the rapper to celebrate the lush Made in Lagos record. Tami Makinde, Vogue, 26 Feb. 2021 When cubed and roasted in a hot oven, butternut’s sugars rise to the surface, developing a caramel crust as the flesh turns velvety and lush. Beth Dooley Special To The Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 7 Oct. 2020 For visuals, Jamaica Giants Sculpture Park and Art Garden, a lush, high-elevation venue, houses paintings and stone sculptures by local artists. Kate Donnelly, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Feb. 2020 The service — a simple commuter shuttle — dives southward out of Bilbao into the lush, deep-green mountains of the Basque Country, before turning north to run along the coast toward San Sebastian. Will Hawkes, Washington Post, 30 Jan. 2020 Located near the Grassy Sound in Jersey, this lush, 19-acre island with views of the Wildwoods has taxes totaling less than $360 a year. Isabel Garcia, House Beautiful, 28 Feb. 2020 By Friday morning, three players will have already decamped from the lush, well-manicured IMG campus. Pat Brennan, Cincinnati.com, 20 Feb. 2020 See More 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
Kids Definition
lush
adjective
ˈləsh
lusher; lushest
1
: characterized by full and healthy growth
lush grass
2
: covered with a thick growth of healthy plants
a lush tropical island
3
: luxurious sense 1
a lush hotel lobby
lush 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in green
covered with a thick healthy natural growth they loved to go for picnics in the lush woodlands Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- green
- grown
- dense
- verdant
- leafy
- fertile
- overgrown
- rich
- luxuriant
- tangled
- prolific
- fruitful
- fecund
- productive
- fat
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- barren
- leafless
- bleak
- poor
- stark
- dry
- arid
- impoverished
- unproductive
- depleted
- infertile
- dead
- desert
- parched
- sere
- waterless
- sear
2
as in dense
growing thickly and vigorously lush dandelions had turned the meadow into a sea of yellow Synonyms & Similar Words
- dense
- rampant
- prosperous
- luxuriant
- thick
- weedy
- rank
- lavish
- profuse
- verdant
- overgrown
- tangled
- overrun
- close
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sparse
- dormant
- blighted
- stunted
3
as in delicious
very pleasing to the sense of taste lush desserts that are well worth the boatload of calories Synonyms & Similar Words
- delicious
- tasteful
- luscious
- flavorful
- edible
- succulent
- delectable
- scrumptious
- tasty
- yummy
- flavorsome
- mouthwatering
- heavenly
- appetizing
- dainty
- delightful
- toothsome
- toothy
- savory
- ambrosial
- palatable
- delish
- savoury
- pleasant
- pleasing
- exquisite
- satisfying
- digestible
- eatable
- delicate
- rare
- gratifying
- agreeable
- choice
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- flat
- insipid
- boring
- tasteless
- banal
- unsavory
- tedious
- distasteful
- stale
- stinky
- noxious
- unpalatable
- smelly
- unappetizing
- commonplace
- noisome
- yucky
- flavorless
- yukky
- wretched
- miserable
- awful
- unwholesome
- horrid
- unpleasant
- disgusting
- repulsive
- abominable
- sickening
- repugnant
- nauseating
- disagreeable
- offensive
- abhorrent
- foul
- detestable
- repellent
- repellant
4
as in thriving
marked by vigorous growth and well-being especially economically those were lush times for the gambling industry, which kept building ever grander casinos Synonyms & Similar Words
- thriving
- golden
- prosperous
- prospering
- booming
- wealthy
- flourishing
- successful
- roaring
- rich
- healthy
- opulent
- palmy
- halcyon
- boomy
- affluent
- moneyed
- substantial
- comfortable
- monied
- well-to-do
- well-off
- well-heeled
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- depressed
- dying
- unsuccessful
- unprosperous
- languishing
- failing
- declining
- bankrupt
- struggling
- insolvent
- floundering
- bankrupted
5
as in sensual
pleasing to the physical senses I could listen to the baritone's lush voice for hours Synonyms & Similar Words
- sensual
- voluptuous
- delicious
- pleasant
- delightful
- luxurious
- sensuous
- luscious
- pleasing
- bodily
- carnal
- dreamy
- scrumptious
- corporeal
- delectable
- fleshly
- pleasurable
- gratifying
- epicurean
- palatable
- self-indulgent
- agreeable
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- harsh
- painful
- uncomfortable
- hideous
- disgusting
- icky
- foul
6
as in fertile
producing abundantly his lush fields were the envy of neighboring farmers Synonyms & Similar Words
- fertile
- prolific
- rich
- luxuriant
- fecund
- fruitful
- productive
- abundant
- creative
- inventive
- generative
- generous
- plentiful
- producing
- bountiful
- fructuous
- cornucopian
- bearing
- copious
- fat
- yielding
- teeming
- thriving
- blooming
- abounding
- original
- flourishing
- bursting
- liberal
- swarming
- plenteous
- plenitudinous
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sterile
- barren
- dead
- unproductive
- sparse
- infertile
- unfruitful
- unfertile
- skimpy
- scanty
- meager
- scant
- spare
- meagre
- skimp
lush
2 of 2noun
1
as in alcoholic
a person who makes a habit of getting drunk she accused him of being a lush and a spendthrift Synonyms & Similar Words
- alcoholic
- drunk
- soak
- inebriate
- dipsomaniac
- rummy
- soaker
- sot
- boozehound
- boozer
- alkie
- drunkard
- tippler
- drinker
- souse
- alky
- toper
- juicer
- swiller
- juicehead
- swigger
- tosspot
- wino
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- teetotaler
- teetotaller
- abstainer
- nondrinker
- teetotalist
2
as in drink
slang a distilled beverage that can make a person drunk you guys can drink if you want, but I'm laying off the lush Synonyms & Similar Words
- drink
- booze
- alcohol
- liquor
- rum
- bottle
- strong drink
- wine
- juice
- aqua vitae
- spirits
- beer
- ardent spirits
- intoxicant
- vodka
- stimulant
- whiskey
- ale
- tipple
- brandy
- sauce
- potable
- hooch
- inebriant
- tequila
- firewater
- grog
- moonshine
- pop
- sake
- gin
- cocktail
- whisky
- belt
- load
- slug
- John Barleycorn
- mixed drink
- brew
- mead
- chaser
- shot
- aperitif
- nappy
- snort
- nip
- liqueur
- malt liquor
- mum
- nightcap
- tot
- shooter
- peg
- mescal
- microbrew
- snifter
- whet
- brewage
- barley-broo
- home brew
- schnapps
- digestif
- bracer
- barley-bree
- mao-tai
- Dutch courage
- brewski
- saki
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- nonintoxicant
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of lush are exuberant, lavish, luxuriant, prodigal, and profuse. While all these words mean "giving or given out in great abundance," lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.
a lush green lawn
The words exuberant and lush can be used in similar contexts, but exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.
an exuberant imagination
The meanings of lavish and lush largely overlap; however, lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.
a lavish party
The words luxuriant and lush are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.
a luxuriant beard
In some situations, the words prodigal and lush are roughly equivalent. However, prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.
prodigal spending
Although the words profuse and lush have much in common, profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.
profuse apologies