Epicurean
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 One who is devoted to pleasure.
"I keep but a man and a maid, ever ready to slander and steal ; / I know it, and smile a hard-set smile, like a stoic, or like / A wiser epicurean, and let the world have its way."
- 2 a follower of Epicurus and Epicureanism
- 3 a person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink) wordnet
- 1 Pursuing pleasure, especially in reference to food or comfort.
"The powers of the Canadian voyageurs and hunters in the consumption of meat strike the greenhorn with wonder and astonishment; and are only equalled by the gastronomical capabilities exhibited by Indian dogs, both following the same plan in their epicurean gorgings."
- 2 Of or relating to Epicurus or Epicureanism, his philosophy.
- 3 Devoted to luxurious living.
- 1 displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses wordnet
- 2 devoted to pleasure wordnet
- 3 of Epicurus or epicureanism wordnet
Example
More examples"The city of Lyctos in Crete forbade any Epicurean to enter it under penalty of the most frightful tortures."
Etymology
From Epicurean (“follower of Epicureanism”).
From Old French Epicurien, from Latin Epicureus, from Ancient Greek Ἐπικούρειος (Epikoúreios, “Epicurean”), from Ἐπίκουρος (Epíkouros, “Epicurus”) + -ειος (-eios, “-ey: forming adjectives”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.