lush
1 Americanadjective
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(of vegetation) abounding in lavish growth
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(esp of fruits) succulent and fleshy
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luxurious, elaborate, or opulent
noun
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a heavy drinker, esp an alcoholic
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alcoholic drink
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of lush1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English lusch “slack”; of disputed origin; perhaps cognate with Old English lysu “bad,” lēas “lax,” Middle Low German lasch “slack,” Old Norse lǫskr “weak,” Gothic lasiws “weak”; alternatively, perhaps from Old French lasche “cowardly, loose,” adjective derivative of laschier “to loosen,” from Late Latin laxicāre, derivative of laxāre; see relax ( def. )
Origin of lush2
First recorded in 1780–90; perhaps facetious application of lush 1
Explanation
Lush describes something growing in abundance, like the lush green grass that covers the lawn in the spring. Lush usually describes thick healthy plant growth, like the jungles of the rainforest that were so lush you couldn't walk through without chopping down branches. (Then it wasn't so lush anymore...oops!) Lush also means "plush" or even "extravagant" — like a thick shag carpet, music with lots of layers, or a bedroom wallpapered in velvet. Plants full of juice are lush, which is perhaps why a person who drinks too much alcohol is called a lush.
Vocabulary lists containing lush
The Vernal Vocabulary of Spring
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The Things They Carried
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Fallen Angels
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Throughout his prolific career, he created many pieces that epitomized the city’s sun-drenched landscapes filled with glittering pools, rolling hills and lush foliage.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
Standing outdoors in all weathers, he painted hundreds of scenes of lush meadows and roadside verges.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
Gai Noi — Brunch at Gai Noi checks every box: a lush rooftop filled with greenery, warm service and memorable food.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
It was reseeded and grown over by lush grass, and by 1997 an ideal habitat was created for the first of Mr. Moore’s exemplars, the elk.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
And there were so many trees, lush and green, peppered by only a few houses.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
