1
as in pleasant
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses a felicitous accompaniment to dinner is provided by a pianist on weekends at the restaurant

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective felicitous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of felicitous are appropriate, apt, fitting, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When is appropriate a more appropriate choice than felicitous?

While in some cases nearly identical to felicitous, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When might apt be a better fit than felicitous?

Although the words apt and felicitous have much in common, apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When would fit be a good substitute for felicitous?

The meanings of fit and felicitous largely overlap; however, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When could fitting be used to replace felicitous?

In some situations, the words fitting and felicitous are roughly equivalent. However, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to felicitous?

While the synonyms happy and felicitous are close in meaning, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When is it sensible to use meet instead of felicitous?

The words meet and felicitous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When can proper be used instead of felicitous?

The synonyms proper and felicitous are sometimes interchangeable, but proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

In what contexts can suitable take the place of felicitous?

The words suitable and felicitous can be used in similar contexts, but suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of felicitous Pebble Beach was not a felicitous meeting of land and sea. Doug Ferguson, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024 That breadth is a felicitous analog to the roaming comedy of the script. Scott Hocker, theweek, 5 Jan. 2024 Ellis-Bextor now joins Kate Bush in the league of criminally underrated British singers who have received a late-career reappraisal thanks to a felicitous TV or film sync. Vulture, 11 Jan. 2024 A couple of bright, shining hours can endow a day with a felicitous look and feel. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2023 See All Example Sentences for felicitous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for felicitous
Adjective
  • Like, so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 14 July 2025
  • Like so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • This content is not, nor is intended to be, trading or investment advice or a recommendation that any investment product or strategy is suitable for any person.
    JJ Kinahan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Responses are for informational purposes only and individuals should consider whether any general recommendation in these responses are suitable for their particular circumstances based on investment objectives, financial situation and needs.
    Steve Hruby, The Enquirer, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • The amount of allergy-inducing pollen is minimal, and the pollinator population benefits from the delightful oasis.
    Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2025
  • There are many ways to freshen your fridge naturally, and using an orange is an especially delightful way.
    Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • Bad guests consider every horizontal surface to be an appropriate trash receptacle.
    Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • The guidance encourages agencies to explore alternatives such as artificial intelligence and machine translation where minimal assistance in other languages remains appropriate.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • Heavy and unadorned, this simple slab of metal makes delicious pizza pies that are crispy and crusty in all the right places.
    Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 July 2025
  • Playing Francis Cobb was a great delicious blessing top to bottom.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 15 July 2025
Adjective
  • Bishop sleeves are loose fitting down the arm and gathered at the wrist, whereas bell sleeves are fitted down most of the arm but open into a large bell shape.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
  • As is fitting for an ‘80s throwback, the Electric Blue Razz soda is only available in full sugar, as in there’s no diet version of this brilliantly-hued drink.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
Adjective
  • People come back from proper breaks with more energy, better ideas, and fewer signs of burnout.
    Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
  • The trooper found no proper registration for the vehicle.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
Adjective
  • The underground world is imaginative and visually pleasing.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 16 July 2025
  • In high-use areas around the desk, bed, and couch, the power strip and extension cords can be permanent fixtures in the space, so why not make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible?
    Kelsey Borovinsky, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Felicitous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/felicitous. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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