Standard Lemma guide

voluptuary

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /vəˈlʌptʃʊəɹi/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /vəˈlʌptʃʊɹi/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /vəˈlʌptʃɹi/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-tjʊ-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /vəˈlʌpt͡ʃʊˌɛɹi/
  • General-American: /-ˈləp-/

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of or relating to the seeking of sensual pleasure.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sybaritic, voluptuarian, Babylonian, decadent, epicureal, epicurean, epicureous, epicurish, hedonic, hedonistic, intemperate, lotus-eating, luxurious, naughty, self-indulgent, sensualistic, sinful, sybarite, sybaritical, voluptuary

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One whose life is devoted to sensual appetites; a pleasure-seeker, a sensualist.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: voluptuarian, bon viveur, epicure, epicurean, hedonist, high-stepper, lapling, lotus-eater, pleasure seeker, pleasurist, sensualist, softling, sybarite, voluptuary

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective satellite

Meaning 3

displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an epicurean banquet
  • enjoyed a luxurious suite with a crystal chandelier and thick oriental rugs
  • Lucullus spent the remainder of his days in voluptuous magnificence
  • a chinchilla robe of sybaritic lavishness

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: epicurean, luxurious, luxuriant, sybaritic, voluptuous

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sybarite

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sensualist

History

Etymology

From French voluptuaire, or directly from its etymon Late Latin voluptuārius, from Latin voluptārius (“pleasure-seeker; agreeable, delightful, pleasant; sensual”), from voluptās (“delight, pleasure, satisfaction”) + -ārius (suffix forming adjectives from nouns). Voluptās is derived from volup (“with pleasure; agreeably, pleasantly, satisfactorily”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *welh1- (“to choose; to want”)) + -tās (suffix forming feminine abstract nouns indicating a state of being).

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Hungarian: élvhajhász — of or relating to the seeking of sensual pleasure
  • Hungarian: élvhajhászó — of or relating to the seeking of sensual pleasure
  • Bulgarian: сластолю́бец (slastoljúbec) — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites
  • Bulgarian: похотливец (pohotlivec) — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites
  • Finnish: nautiskelija — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites
  • Ancient Greek: τρυφητής (truphētḗs) — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites
  • Hungarian: élvhajhász — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites
  • Hungarian: kéjenc — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites
  • Latin: dēliciae — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites
  • Latin: labda — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites
  • Russian: сластолю́бец (slastoljúbec) — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites
  • Telugu: విటుడు (viṭuḍu) — one whose life is devoted to sensual appetites