Voluptuous

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /vəˈlʌp.t͡ʃu.əs/

Definitions

1. Characterized by a rich, pleasing fullness that is often sensual or suggestive, as well as luxuriously indulgent in a way that delights the senses and offers comfort
2. Having a seductive curviness that draws attention, combined with an essence of luxurious comfort that engages and satisfies the senses
3. Having a richly appealing and sensuous quality that provides deep enjoyment through the senses ; possessing a shapely, generously rounded figure that is often considered attractive

Etymology: The adjective "voluptuous" has long meant more than pleasure-seeking. Its Latin ancestor, "voluptuōsus," meant "delightful" or "full of pleasure," and it grew from "voluptās," a word for pleasure and delight, which in turn came from "volup," meaning "with pleasure." The Latin family was thoroughly concerned with enjoyment, so the English sense of pleasure-loving is the older core of the word. The path into English ran through Middle French, where "voluptueux" carried the same notion of sensual delight. English borrowed the word from that French form, so it arrived already loaded with associations of luxury and indulgence. Only later did the sense narrow toward physical sensuality and then toward a curvaceous, full figure, which is the meaning the word carries today.

Synonyms: sensuous, curvaceous, luscious

Antonyms: flat, skinny, slender