1
a
: growing vigorously especially with luxuriant foliage
lush grass
b
: lavishly productive: such as
(1)
: fertile
lush farmland
(2)
: thriving
the lush idealism of the prewar period—
F. B. Millett
F. B. Millett
(3)
: characterized by abundance : plentiful
lush campaign contributions—Fulton Lewis
Fulton Lewis
(4)
: prosperous, profitable
firms with lush contracts
lushly
adverb
lushness
noun
lushed; lushing; lushes
1
slang
: to consume (alcohol)
I left the clinic, went to a restaurant, and began lushing beer …—Norma McCorvey
—often used with upNorma McCorvey… lushing up Prohibition gin …—Lawrence Lipton
Lawrence Lipton'Tis the season for spiked eggnog. … But what if you never touch alcohol or need a break from lushing it up?—Sheila Livadas
Sheila Livadas2
slang
: to ply (someone) with alcohol
—often used with up
He found them in Fleet Market, and lushed them up with gin.—Patrick Pringle
Patrick Pringle
: to consume alcohol : drink sense 2
—often used with up
"I've been lushing up here and there, which is bad for the intestine and doesn't help the soul much either …"—John Clellon Holmes, quoted in Brother-Souls: John Clellon Holmes, Jack Kerouac, and the Beat Generation
John Clellon Holmes, quoted in Brother-Souls: John Clellon Holmes, Jack Kerouac, and the Beat GenerationSynonyms
Adjective
Noun
- alcoholic
- alkie [slang]
- alky
- boozehound
- boozer
- dipsomaniac
- drinker
- drunk
- drunkard
- inebriate
- juicehead [slang]
- juicer [slang]
- rummy
- soak
- soaker
- sot
- souse
- tippler
- toper
- tosspot
Verb
Examples of lush in a Sentence
Adjective
The frequent rainfall encourages the lush growth of trees, ferns, and shrubs.
She always wanted to live on a lush Caribbean island.
The hills are lush with deep, thick grass.
a lush and fruity wine
Noun
He's just an old lush.
she accused him of being a lush and a spendthrift
Verb
frat boys lushing up on beer during freshman rush
Recent Examples on the Web
Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
He’s best associated with the gleaming, lush sound of jazz and pop in the ’70s and ’80s, as most famously heard on Michael Jackson’s albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023
Elliot is a rapacious, omnivorous lush with a God complex; Beverly is a repressed, anxious lesbian with a morality complex.
—The Rachel Weisz Gay Index, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for lush 
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.
Adjective
The In Full Colour: Dale Chihuly exhibition, is carefully set within the lush rainforest environment of the Botanical Garden’s Bicentennial Conservatory, and gives visitors an up-close and personal look at Chihuly's creations.
—Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
He’s best associated with the gleaming, lush sound of jazz and pop in the ’70s and ’80s, as most famously heard on Michael Jackson’s albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
Verdict: Mulligan’s kooky cameo imbues this tragic lush with a dash of camp.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023
Elliot is a rapacious, omnivorous lush with a God complex; Beverly is a repressed, anxious lesbian with a morality complex.
—The Rachel Weisz Gay Index, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2023
See all Example Sentences for lush
Dictionary Entries Near lush
Cite this Entry
“Lush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lush. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share