delicious

English

Etymology

From Middle English delicious, from Anglo-Norman delicious, from Old French delicious, delicieux, from Late Latin dēliciōsus (“delicate, delicious”), from dēliciae (“delights”), plural of dēlicia (“pleasure”), from deliciō (“I allure, I entice”), from de- (“away”) + laciō (“I lure, I deceive”), from Proto-Italic *lakjō (“to draw, pull”), of unknown ultimate origin. Displaced native Old English ārlīċ (“delicious”)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈlɪʃəs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /dəˈlɪʃəs/, /diˈlɪʃəs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪʃəs

Adjective

delicious (comparative more delicious, superlative most delicious)

1. Pleasing to the sense of taste; tasty.
2. (colloquial, figurative) Pleasing to a person's taste; pleasing to the eyes or mind.

   The irony is delicious!

   • 1986, Patrick Lichfield, Courvoisier's Book of the Best, page 230:

     But the houses are so delicious and the way they're townscaped on to hilly bits is absolutely wonderful.

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A Millar, , →OCLC:

     Jones had not travelled far before he paid his compliments to that beautiful planet, and, turning to his companion, asked him if he had ever beheld so delicious an evening?

3. (slang) Having tremendous sex appeal.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:delicious

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• leucosiid, lousicide

Old French

Etymology

From Late Latin dēliciōsus, see above.

Adjective

delicious m (oblique and nominative feminine singular deliciouse)

1. delicious; tasty
2. noble; courtly; courteous

Declension

Descendants

• French: délicieux
• → English: delicious