sumptuous
adjective
Did you know?
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens may be a few of your favorite things, but are they sumptuous? Alas, though the best things in life are often free, sumptuous is a child of the Latin word sumptus, meaning “expense,” and it typically describes things that can only be had at some significant expense. A sumptuous lifestyle, for example, is more likely to involve silver-white bling than a silver-white winter that melts into spring. Sumptus has another English relation, this one tied even more closely to conspicuous consumption: sumptuary laws are largely historical regulations limiting extravagant expenditures and habits, especially on moral or religious grounds. (The sump in consumption is coincidental; that word comes from consume, which has its roots in Latin sumere meaning “to take up, take.”)
Examples of sumptuous in a Sentence
Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
The hotel’s 114 rooms and suites are spread across six floors, each one designed as a sumptuous cocoon away from the city’s lively streets.
—Vicki Power, TheWeek, 31 Mar. 2026
Cultiver’s sumptuous new throw is made with merino wool sourced from New Zealand’s South Island.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 2026
There are 15 sumptuous color choices, 70 to 80% blackout coverage, and machine washable ease.
—Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sumptuous
Cite this Entry
“Sumptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sumptuous. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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sumptuous
adjective
