The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day is sumptuous. Read on for what it means, how it’s used, and more.

What It Means

Sumptuous is used to describe things that are extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent.

// The hotel’s most sumptuous suite overlooks the lush gardens and includes a palatial marble bathroom with a spa and a commodious, intricately tiled walk-in shower.

SUMPTUOUS in Context

“Simple but sumptuous, this sheet-pan cod primavera with blender hollandaise is a spring sensation….” — headline, The Alaska Dispatch News, 20 Apr. 2022

Did You Know?

The word sumptuous typically describes things that can only be had at some significant expense, a fact that keeps the modern English word tied to its Latin source: sumptus, meaning “expense.” Another English adjective, sumptuary, has the same Latin source, but today is found mostly in the context of sumptuary laws, largely historical regulations limiting extravagant expenditures and habits, especially on moral or religious grounds.