VOLUPTUOUS Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'voluptuous' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of voluptuous are luxurious , sensual , and sensuous . While all these words mean "relating to or providing pleasure through gratification of the senses," voluptuous implies more strongly an abandonment especially to sensual pleasure. // a voluptuous feast

Q: When is it sensible to use 'luxurious' instead of 'voluptuous'?

While the synonyms luxurious and voluptuous are close in meaning, luxurious suggests the indulgence of sensuous pleasure inducing bodily ease and languor. // a luxurious hotel

Q: When can 'sensual' be used instead of 'voluptuous'?

The words sensual and voluptuous can be used in similar contexts, but sensual tends to imply the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of the physical appetites as ends in themselves. // a life devoted to sensual pleasures

Q: When might 'sensuous' be a better fit than 'voluptuous'?

The synonyms sensuous and voluptuous are sometimes interchangeable, but sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure. // the sensuous delights of great music

voluptuous

adjective

və-ˈləp(t)-shə-wəs

Definition of voluptuous

as in sensual

pleasing to the physical senses the voluptuous richness of the music

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word voluptuous distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of voluptuous are luxurious, sensual, and sensuous. While all these words mean "relating to or providing pleasure through gratification of the senses," voluptuous implies more strongly an abandonment especially to sensual pleasure.

a voluptuous feast

When is it sensible to use luxurious instead of voluptuous?

While the synonyms luxurious and voluptuous are close in meaning, luxurious suggests the indulgence of sensuous pleasure inducing bodily ease and languor.

a luxurious hotel

When can sensual be used instead of voluptuous?

The words sensual and voluptuous can be used in similar contexts, but sensual tends to imply the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of the physical appetites as ends in themselves.

a life devoted to sensual pleasures

When might sensuous be a better fit than voluptuous?

The synonyms sensuous and voluptuous are sometimes interchangeable, but sensuous implies gratification of the senses for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.

the sensuous delights of great music

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 voluptuous The Bugatti Type 57 epitomizes that aesthetic power, exemplified by a low-slung body defined by voluptuous curves. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2026 Novelist, musician, and filmmaker Eliza Barry Callahan turns genre on its ear, with voluptuous nocturnal celluloid cinematography by Alfonso Herrera Salcedo. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026 Bristol’s Tara Clerkin Trio are steeped in their hometown’s trip-hop tradition, but their approach is more folk-rock than the voluptuous blues associated with Tricky or Massive Attack. — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 5 June 2026 Once mounted, the voluptuous nude body stands tall like a mountain against the pale wash of Sotheby’s London gallery. — Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for voluptuous

Recent Examples of Synonyms for voluptuous

sensual

Adjective

The most sensual scene in the movie is actually a dance number at a public gathering where the two characters slowly sway and caress each other, much to the horror and confusion of the other townsfolk.

— Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
For 1937, which is dominated by shades of green, blue, khaki, and sand, Cobos looked to Claire Denis’s Beau Travail (1999), a sensual psychological drama about French Foreign Legionnaires in Djibouti.

— Elaina Patton, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of sensual

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voluptuary

voluptuous

voluptuousness

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“Voluptuous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/voluptuous. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of voluptuous

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