sybarite

See also Sybarite

English

WOTD – 11 January 2006    

Etymology

From Latin Sybarita, from Ancient Greek Συβαρίτης (Subaritēs, “inhabitant of Subaris”), from Σύβαρις (Subaris, “Sybaris (an ancient Greek city in southeastern Italy noted for the luxurious, pleasure-seeking habits of many of its inhabitants)”)

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsɪbəˌraɪt/

Noun

sybarite (plural sybarites)

1. A person devoted to pleasure and luxury; a voluptuary.
   • 1969, Victor Ernest Watts (translator), Anicius Manlius Severinus Boëthius (author), The Consolation of Philosophy, Penguin Books, book III, chapter iv, page 87:

     Although the proud lord clothed himself // In purple robes and gem-stones white, // Yet Nero grew to all men’s hate // A wild and cruel sybarite.

   • 2011 December 16th, William Grimes, “Obituary of Christopher Hitchens” in the New York Times:

     Thus began a dual career as political agitator and upper-crust sybarite. He arranged a packed schedule of antiwar demonstrations by day and Champagne-flooded parties with Oxford’s elite at night.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:sensualist

Translations

person devoted to pleasure and luxury

• Dutch: wellusteling (nl), sensualist (nl) m, sybariet (nl) m, priaap (nl) m, sater (nl) m
• Finnish: nautiskelija (fi), sybariitti (fi)
• French: sybarite (fr) m

• German: Schlemmer (de) m
• Slovene: sibarit (sl) m
• Spanish: sibarita (es) m

Anagrams

• bestiary

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French

Etymology

From Latin Sybarita

Pronunciation

• IPA: /si.ba.ʁit/

Adjective

sybarite (masculine and feminine, plural sybarites)

1. related to Sybaris
2. soft, effeminate, living in pleasure and luxury

   Ces docteurs frivoles, ces philosophes sybarites qui repoussent toute pensée sérieuse. (Jouy, Hermite, t. 2, 1812)

Synonyms

• (soft, effeminate, living in pleasure): délicat, jouisseur, sensuel, voluptueux

Derived terms

• sybaritisme

Related terms

• sybaritique

Noun

sybarite m (plural sybarites)

1. sybarite, person devoted to pleasure and luxury

   Je compris ce qui chagrinait le marquis dans son bonheur, et je découvris quel était le pli de rose dont soupirait ce sybarite sur sa couche de volupté. (Théophile Gautier, Fracasse, 1863)

Synonyms

• jouisseur

Antonyms

• ascète

References

• "sybarite" in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).