English

Noun

Sybarite ‎(plural Sybarites)

1. A native or inhabitant of Sybaris.

Translations

English

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

Antonyms

• hedonophobe

Translations

Anagrams

• bestiary

French

Etymology

From Latin Sybarita

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si.ba.ʁit/

Adjective

sybarite m, f ‎(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).