volupté

sensual pleasure, voluptuousness

noun voh-loop-TEH Rare

Origin: from Latin 'voluptas', pleasure

Usage Note

Volupté is an elevated, literary word for intense sensory or sensual pleasure, carrying connotations of indulgence and languor. It is frequently found in poetry and 19th-century prose. The adjective voluptueux / voluptueuse describes something or someone exuding this quality. Contrast with the more everyday plaisir (pleasure).

Examples

"Elle ferma les yeux avec volupté."

Natural Translation

She closed her eyes with sensual pleasure.

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