Dictionary

lush en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• [ˈlʌʃ]
• /ˈlʊʃ/ (Northern-England) without the foot-strut split
• /ˈlʌʃ/
• (US) audio
• [ˈlʊʃ] (Northern-England) without the foot-strut split

Etymology

From Middle English lusch (“slack, relaxed, limp, loose”), from Old English *lysċ, lesċ (“slack; limp”), from Proto-West Germanic *laskwī̆, from Proto-Germanic *laskuz, *laskwaz (“weak, false, feeble”), from Proto-Indo-European *lēy- (“to let; leave behind”). Akin to Old English lysu, lesu (“false, evil, base”), Middle Low German lasch (“slack”), Middle High German er-leswen (“to become weak”), Old Norse lǫskr (“weak, feeble”), Gothic 𐌻𐌰𐍃𐌹𐍅𐍃 (lasiws, “weak, feeble”), Middle Low German las, lasich (“slack, languid, idle”), Low German lusch (“loose”). Doublet of lusk. More at lishey, lazy.

Meanings

1. Juicy, succulent.
   • How luſh and luſty the graſſe lookes ? How greene ? 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 6:
2. (dialectal) Mellow; soft; (of ground or soil) easily turned; fertile.
3. (of vegetation) Dense, teeming with life; luxuriant.
   • European adventurers found themselves within a watery world, a tapestry of streams, channels, wetlands, lakes and lush riparian meadows enriched by floodwaters from the Mississippi River. 2013 January 14, Nancy Langston, “The Fraught History of a Watery World”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 1, archived from the original on 22 Jan 2013, page 59:
   • Virmire is a lush world located on the frontier of the Attican Traverse. Its vast seas and orbital position on the inner life zone have created a wide equatorial band of humid, tropical terrain. 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Planets: Virmire Codex entry:
   • Some of the world’s best rain forest and volcanic hiking can be found within the lush canopied Caribbean trail systems. Chock-full of waterfalls and hot springs, bright-colored birds and howling monkeys, flora-lined trails cut through thick, fragrant forests and up cloud-covered mountains. 2006, Stefani Jackenthal, New York Times:
   • The birds survived thanks to the mild weather in Caracas and the lush mountains that surround the city, which are covered with trees that provide macaws with fruits and seeds. 2026 April 18, Manuel Rueda, “Caracas' iconic macaws threatened by vanishing palm trees”, in National Public Radio, Washington, D.C.: National Public Radio:
4. (of food) Savoury, delicious.
   • That meal was lush! We have to go to that restaurant again sometime!
5. Thriving; rife; sumptuous.
   • They rolled into Jane's room a wheeled cart lush with cake and cookies and shrimp and crudités and pop and soda water. The staff was giving us a going-away party for our trip to Seattle; it was good to understand their confidence. 2005, Donald Hall, The Best Day the Worst Day: Life with Jane Kenyon, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 105:
6. (UK, slang) Beautiful, sexy.
   • Boys with long hair are lush!
7. (Canada, UK, slang) Amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked.
   • Your voice is lush, Lucy! I could listen to it all day!
8. (obsolete) Lax; slack; limp; flexible.

Forms

Deriveds

overlush

Relateds

luscious · lushness · lush up · lushly · gert lush · lushen

Synonyms

viridescent · greenly · virid · luscious · verdant · verdured · bosky · bosky · verdant · lavish · lush · sappy · sapful · verdurous

Translations (68)

nl weelderig (luxuriant, delicious) · ru роско́шный (luxuriant, delicious) · sv snygg (beautiful, sexy) · nl de max (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · nl tof (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · es lozano (dense, teeming with life) · ro luxuriant (dense, teeming with life) · nl groen (dense, teeming with life) · sv grönskande (dense, teeming with life) · ro savuros (luxuriant, delicious) · kea bisós (luxuriant, delicious) · bg тучен (dense, teeming with life) · nl luxurieus (luxuriant, delicious) · it lussureggiante (dense, teeming with life) · kea visoze (luxuriant, delicious) · ga méith (dense, teeming with life) · ro atrăgător (beautiful, sexy) · ro sexy (beautiful, sexy) · de fantastisch (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · nn frodig (dense, teeming with life) · nl delicieus (luxuriant, delicious) · hy փարթամ (dense, teeming with life) · gl vizoso (dense, teeming with life) · sv sexig (beautiful, sexy) · it rigoglioso (dense, teeming with life) · de geil (beautiful, sexy) · cs bujný (dense, teeming with life) · mi matomato (dense, teeming with life) · ru сексапи́льный (beautiful, sexy) · es frondoso (dense, teeming with life) · ota كور (dense, teeming with life) · fi kukoistava (dense, teeming with life) · ro mișto (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · fi seksikäs (beautiful, sexy) · sv smaskig (luxuriant, delicious) · ru кла́ссный (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · pt luxuriante (luxuriant, delicious) · nl levend (dense, teeming with life) · nl wijs (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · fr luxuriant (dense, teeming with life) · ru потряса́ющий (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · es ufano (dense, teeming with life) · fi mehevä (luxuriant, delicious) · nl sexy (beautiful, sexy) · ro grozav (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · fi rehevä (dense, teeming with life) · sk bujný (dense, teeming with life) · lt vešlus (dense, teeming with life) · ru бу́йный (dense, teeming with life) · sv frodig (dense, teeming with life) · ru клёвый (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · ru круто́й (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · pt viçoso (dense, teeming with life) · tr azmış (beautiful, sexy) · bg пищен (dense, teeming with life) · it rigogliosa (dense, teeming with life) · pt exuberante (dense, teeming with life) · ro extraordinar (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · sv luxuös (luxuriant, delicious) · tr azgın (beautiful, sexy) · de toll (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · cmn 茂密 (dense, teeming with life) · ro delicios (luxuriant, delicious) · de üppig gewachsen (dense, teeming with life) · ca gerd (dense, teeming with life) · ro minunat (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · nl cool (amazing, cool, fantastic, wicked) · fa سرسبز (dense, teeming with life)

lush en · ADJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• [ˈlʌʃ]
• /ˈlʊʃ/ (Northern-England) without the foot-strut split
• /ˈlʌʃ/
• (US) audio
• [ˈlʊʃ] (Northern-England) without the foot-strut split

Etymology

Perhaps a humorous use of the preceding word, or perhaps from Shelta lush (“food and drink”) (the sense "liquor" is older than the sense "drinker"). The Century Dictionary wrote that it was "said to be so called from one Lushington, a once well-known London brewer", but the Online Etymology Dictionary considers lushington (“drinker”) a humorous extension of lush instead.

Meanings

1. (slang) Drunk; inebriated.
   • “’E generally goes down there when ’e’s got ’is skinful, beggin’ your pardon, sir, an’ they do say that the more lush — in-he-briated ’e is, the more fish ’e catches.” 1889, Rudyard Kipling, “Only A Subaltern”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 140:

Forms

lush en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• [ˈlʌʃ]
• /ˈlʊʃ/ (Northern-England) without the foot-strut split
• /ˈlʌʃ/
• (US) audio
• [ˈlʊʃ] (Northern-England) without the foot-strut split

Etymology

Perhaps a humorous use of the preceding word, or perhaps from Shelta lush (“food and drink”) (the sense "liquor" is older than the sense "drinker"). The Century Dictionary wrote that it was "said to be so called from one Lushington, a once well-known London brewer", but the Online Etymology Dictionary considers lushington (“drinker”) a humorous extension of lush instead.

Meanings

1. (countable, derogatory, slang, uncountable) A drunkard, sot, alcoholic.
   • Overaged and lecherous lushes at office parties profaning the text, music, and meaning of Christmas carols. 1973 December 8, A. Nolder Gay, “Coping With Christmas”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 25, page 3:
2. (countable, slang, uncountable) Intoxicating liquor.
   • I took my flogging like a stone. If I had sung, some of the convicts would have given me some lush with a locust in it (laudanum hocussing), and when I was asleep would have given me a crack on the head that would have laid me straight. 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
   • If your care comes, in the liquor sink it, / Pass along the lush — I'm the boy can drink it. 1841, Charles Lever, Charles O'Malley:
3. (Hawaii, countable, qualifier:Pidgin, slang, uncountable) A person who enjoys talking about themselves.
   • Am I humble or am I a lush?

Forms

Deriveds

lush-crib · lush-roller · lush-worker · lush-roll · lushy

Synonyms

alco · pisshead · lusher · winesop · tiddly · rinse-pitcher · hard drink · barfly · booze · bacchant · drinker · tosspot · swill-belly · cupster · maltworm · grog · soaker · lush · strong water · adult beverage · libation · souse · shot · tincture · potation · liquor · strong drink · sponge · carouser · sot · boozehound · bouser · fuddler · drunkard · lush · dipsomaniac · souse · rumpot · fuddling · winebibber · tippler · swill-bowl · alkie · toper · pisspot · borachio · swillking · narcissist · squeeze-grape · sauce · egotist · lick-wimble · swill-flagon · alcohol · boozer · suck-pint · swill-tub · suck-pint · carouse · fuddlecap · potent potable · shicker · drunk · tipple · reel-pot · soak · tun · bevvy · juicehead · swill-pot · inebriate · plonko · guzzler · grog artist · booze artist · dipso · nightcap · slubberdegullion · alcoholic · bacchanal · sucker · wino · bibber · drink

Translations (34)

ro bețivă (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · de Besoffener (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · es alcohólico (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · sv suput (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it ubriaca (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it alcoolista (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · sv fyllo (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · fr alcoolique (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · de Säuferin (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · fi juoppo (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · de Besoffene (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it alcolizzata (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · de Säufer (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · de Alkoholikerin (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · sv alkis (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it ubriacone (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · hi शराबी (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it ubriacona (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · de Alkoholiker (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it alcolista (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · nl zatlap (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · de Trinkerin (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · ro drojdier (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · ro bețiv (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · de Trinker (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · ro alcoolică (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it beone (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · ro alcoolic (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it alcolizzato (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it spugna (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · it ubriaco (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · es alcohólica (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · bg пияница (drunkard, sot, alcoholic) · de Saufbold (drunkard, sot, alcoholic)

lush en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• [ˈlʌʃ]
• /ˈlʊʃ/ (Northern-England) without the foot-strut split
• /ˈlʌʃ/
• (US) audio
• [ˈlʊʃ] (Northern-England) without the foot-strut split

Etymology

Perhaps a humorous use of the preceding word, or perhaps from Shelta lush (“food and drink”) (the sense "liquor" is older than the sense "drinker"). The Century Dictionary wrote that it was "said to be so called from one Lushington, a once well-known London brewer", but the Online Etymology Dictionary considers lushington (“drinker”) a humorous extension of lush instead.

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive) To drink (liquor) to excess.

Forms

Deriveds

lush up · lush it up · lushing · lusher · lush around

Translations (2)

fi kännätä (to drink in excess) · bg напивам се (to drink in excess)