luxurious

luxurious — adjective

1. describing a place, object, or service that costs a lot of money, uses the fines

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describing a place, object, or service that costs a lot of money, uses the finest materials, and provides a high level of comfort and beauty.

Example

The Reema family stayed at a luxurious hotel with a private pool during their holiday.

luxurious + hotel (accommodation)

Élise chose a luxurious silk dress for the awards ceremony.

luxurious + material noun (silk dress)

Common collocations
  • luxurious hotel
  • luxurious lifestyle
  • luxurious apartment
  • luxurious home
  • luxurious fabric
  • luxurious spa
  • luxurious resort
  • luxurious interior
Synonyms
  • opulent

    more formal and suggests grand wealth and richness of decoration

  • lavish

    focuses on spending freely or giving generously, sometimes wastefully

  • sumptuous

    describes things that look richly expensive, especially food, rooms, or fabrics

  • deluxe

    often used for products or services of the highest available quality grade

Antonyms
  • humble

    modest and simple, without show or expense

  • basic

    only providing the simplest and most necessary things

Grammar Patterns

luxurious + noun

be + luxurious

Usage Note

Often used before nouns describing accommodation, clothing, interiors, and experiences. Can be used predicatively: 'The resort was luxurious.'

Common Mistakes

The sofa was very luxury.
The sofa was very luxurious.
'Luxury' is a noun; the adjective form is 'luxurious'.

2. giving a deeply enjoyable and satisfying feeling, especially from a simple exper

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

giving a deeply enjoyable and satisfying feeling, especially from a simple experience that feels special or self-indulgent.

Example

There is something wonderfully luxurious about lying in bed with a good book on a rainy Sunday morning.

pattern: there is something luxurious about + -ing

For Ayana, a hot bath with scented oils felt truly luxurious after a stressful week.

predictive: feel + luxurious

Common collocations
  • feel luxurious
  • seem luxurious
  • something luxurious about
  • truly luxurious
  • deeply luxurious
Synonyms
  • indulgent

    stresses allowing yourself to enjoy something you do not usually allow

  • blissful

    suggests extreme happiness and relaxation

Grammar Patterns

be + luxurious

feel + luxurious

something + is + luxurious + about + noun/-ing

Usage Note

This sense is typically predicative and describes an experience or feeling rather than a material object. The subject is often a situation, activity, or sensation ('having time to myself felt luxurious').

Word family

  • luxury
    nounB1
  • luxuriously
    adverbB2
  • luxuriate
    verbC1
  • luxuriant
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something of very high quality or cost, but they differ in focus. 'Opulent' is the most formal and suggests grand, showy wealth (an opulent palace with gold ceilings). 'Lavish' emphasises generous spending, sometimes to excess (a lavish wedding with hundreds of guests). 'Sumptuous' highlights rich visual and sensory details, especially of food, fabrics, and interiors (a sumptuous velvet curtain). 'Deluxe' is more commercial and commonly used for product grades (a deluxe room at a hotel). 'Luxurious' is the broadest everyday term, covering both material richness and personal comfort.

opulentlavishsumptuousdeluxe ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • luxurious way of life
  • luxurious touch
  • luxurious feel

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'luxurious' comes from the Latin noun 'luxuria', meaning excess or extravagance. It passed into Old French as 'luxurios' and then entered Middle English around the 14th century. Originally it carried a negative sense of sinful indulgence, but over time the meaning shifted toward the modern positive sense of rich comfort and elegance.