felicitous

adjective

fi-ˈli-sə-təs How to pronounce felicitous (audio)
Definition of felicitousnext
1
as in pleasant
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses a felicitous accompaniment to dinner is provided by a pianist on weekends at the restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suitable
meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation the museum's restaurant is featuring a French menu as a felicitous complement to the current show on French Impressionism

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective felicitous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of felicitous are appropriate, apt, fitting, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When is appropriate a more appropriate choice than felicitous?

While in some cases nearly identical to felicitous, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When might apt be a better fit than felicitous?

Although the words apt and felicitous have much in common, apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When would fit be a good substitute for felicitous?

The meanings of fit and felicitous largely overlap; however, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When could fitting be used to replace felicitous?

In some situations, the words fitting and felicitous are roughly equivalent. However, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to felicitous?

While the synonyms happy and felicitous are close in meaning, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When is it sensible to use meet instead of felicitous?

The words meet and felicitous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When can proper be used instead of felicitous?

The synonyms proper and felicitous are sometimes interchangeable, but proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

In what contexts can suitable take the place of felicitous?

The words suitable and felicitous can be used in similar contexts, but suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

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 felicitous Pebble Beach was not a felicitous meeting of land and sea. —Doug Ferguson, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 That breadth is a felicitous analog to the roaming comedy of the script. —Scott Hocker, theweek, 5 Jan. 2024 Ellis-Bextor now joins Kate Bush in the league of criminally underrated British singers who have received a late-career reappraisal thanks to a felicitous TV or film sync. —Vulture, 11 Jan. 2024 A couple of bright, shining hours can endow a day with a felicitous look and feel. —Martin Weil, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for felicitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felicitous
  1. pleasant
  2. suitable
  3. delightful
  4. appropriate
  5. delicious
  6. fitting
  7. proper
  8. pleasing
Adjective
  • Comedy is also having a moment because of people are looking for a pleasant escape given the political nightmare currently gripping this nation.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 9 June 2025
  • This modern adaptation of a traditional country farmhouse features a welcoming front porch, which has ample room for two or three people to sit and relax on a pleasant day.
    — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2025
Definition of pleasant
Adjective
  • Housing advocates have cautioned that federal land is not universally suitable for affordable housing.
    — Matthew Brown, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
  • Investments in securities entail risk and are not suitable for all investors.
    — Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Definition of suitable
Adjective
  • Barack Obama is the most unbelievably delightful man.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025
  • While the absurd shenanigans are fun, the real joy is watching a delightful del Toro and refreshing Threapleton navigating the oddly heartfelt family reconnection.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 June 2025
Definition of delightful
Adjective
  • The authorities in California and Los Angeles were taking the appropriate actions.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 10 June 2025
  • Measurable: Evaluate reasoning quality by tracking consistency across different scenarios, measuring response accuracy under varying complexity levels, and assessing appropriate uncertainty expression rather than just confidence metrics.
    — Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Definition of appropriate
Adjective
  • Willem Dafoe as Rat in Fantastic Mr. Fox Willem Dafoe has delicious fun voicing Rat, the sinister security guard who menaces Fox and his cohorts.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 12 June 2025
  • The Five-Star Weekend centers on Hollis Shaw (Garner), a famed food influencer known for her delicious recipes, impeccable taste, and warm demeanor, who suffers a devastating loss.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 11 June 2025
Definition of delicious
Adjective
  • Whatever happens next, the World Cup is a fitting lens through which to understand Trump’s approach to the world, as a second-term Trump doctrine takes shape.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
  • The opening shot of the episode nods to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper — a fitting visual metaphor for what lies ahead.
    — Buddha Lo, People.com, 13 June 2025
Definition of fitting
Adjective
  • The parliamentarian is the chamber's adviser on its proper rules and procedures.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
  • There could be a defense explaining it and somehow providing the proper framework for understanding it.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 6 June 2025
Definition of proper
Adjective
  • Chest freezers are chunky appliances, and even the most aesthetically pleasing models are still little more than large boxes.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025
  • Here, the love planet thrives in situations that are equally secure and aesthetically pleasing.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 9 June 2025
Definition of pleasing

Browse Nearby Words

felicities
felicitous
felicitously
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Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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