What does "voluptuary" mean?
One whose life is devoted to sensual appetites; a pleasure-seeker, a sensualist.
Voluptuary
/vəˈlʌptʃʊəɹi/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One whose life is devoted to sensual appetites; a pleasure-seeker, a sensualist.
- Grammar: voluptuary is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: aesthete, bon vivant, connoisseur, connoisseur of luxury.
- Useful contrasts: ascetic, austere, prude.
- Usage evidence: Eva considers herself to be a true voluptuary.
How to use "voluptuary"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "voluptuary" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "voluptuary" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "voluptuary" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "voluptuary" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "voluptuary" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aesthete" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "voluptuary", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One whose life is devoted to sensual appetites; a pleasure-seeker, a sensualist.
"But Mrs. Cole, in oppoſition to this, aſſured me that the gentlemen I ſhould be preſented to, were, by their rank and taſte of things, infinitely ſuperior to the being touch'd with any glare of dreſs, or ornaments, ſuch as ſilly women rather confound, and overlay, than ſet off their beauty with; that theſe veteran voluptuaries knew better than not to hold them in the higheſt contempt, […]"
- 2 a person addicted to luxury and pleasures of the senses wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to the seeking of sensual pleasure.
"For as it hath beene well obſerued, that the Arts which flouriſh in times, while vertue is in growth, are Militarie: and while vertue is in State are Liberall; and while vertue is in declination, are voluptuarie; ſo I doubt, that this age of the world, is ſomewhat vpon the deſcent of the wheele; with Arts voluptuarie, I couple practiſes Iocularie; for the deceiuing of the ſences, is one of the pleaſures of the ſences."
Adjective
- 1 displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Eva considers herself to be a true voluptuary."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "voluptuary"?
Common synonyms include: aesthete, bon vivant, connoisseur, connoisseur of luxury, epicure, epicurean.
How do you use "voluptuary" in a sentence?
Eva considers herself to be a true voluptuary.
How do you pronounce "voluptuary"?
Pronounced /vəˈlʌptʃʊəɹi/.
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).