sumptuous
/ˈsʌm(p)tjʊəs
/adjective
Splendid and expensive-looking: the banquet was a sumptuous, luxurious meal...
- It is one of the most stunning buildings in the Clyde Valley and clearly belongs to a bygone age of sumptuous extravagance.
- Deep yellow-green, this has a sumptuous perfumed nose of rich tropical fruits.
- The set pieces with full orchestral backing are sumptuous, rich collages of light and colour.
Synonyms
lavish, luxurious, deluxe, opulent, magnificent, resplendent, gorgeous, splendid, grand, extravagant, lush, lavishly appointed, palatial, princely, rich, costly, expensive, impressive, imposing
informal plush, ritzy, swanky
British informal swish
Derivatives
sumptuosity
- They involved displays of sumptuosity and the flaunting of rare and precious skills that only the idle rich could cultivate.
- As a matter of courtesy its sumptuosity and splendor were placed at the disposal of the new King.
- His entertainments were, for the most part, plain and citizenlike, the company general and popular; good taste and kindness made them pleasanter than sumptuosity would have done.
sumptuously
/ adverb ...- The King Is Dancing is occasionally richly acted, always sumptuously photographed and choreographed, but ultimately an empty cinematic experience.
- It really is sumptuously gorgeous music, and, thus, almost impossible to single out highlights.
- This sumptuously illustrated, elegantly designed history of the organization's first two decades is a bit short on text, but the book abounds in visual allure.
sumptuousness
/ noun ...- There's a new sumptuousness in style and texture.
- This landmark exhibition represents an unprecedented opportunity to experience the sumptuousness and the glamour associated with the Mughal Empire.
- In Elizabethan England, these laws attempted to restrict the sumptuousness of dress in order to curb extravagance, protect fortunes, and make clear the necessary and appropriate distinctions between levels of society.
Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense 'made or produced at great cost'): from Old French somptueux, from Latin sumptuosus, from sumptus 'expenditure' (see sumptuary).
The early sense of this was ‘costly’ rather than ‘rich’. It comes from Latin sumptuosus, from sumptus ‘expenditure’. As costly things are often magnificent it had gained this sense by the mid 16th century.