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Synonyms

succulent

American  
[suhk-yuh-luhnt] / ˈsʌk yə lənt /

adjective

  1. full of juice; juicy.

  2. rich in desirable qualities.

  3. affording mental nourishment.

  4. (of a plant) having fleshy and juicy tissues.

noun

  1. a succulent plant, as a sedum or cactus.

succulent British  
/ ˈsʌkjʊlənt /

adjective

  1. abundant in juices; juicy

  2. (of plants) having thick fleshy leaves or stems

  3. informal stimulating interest, desire, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a plant that is able to exist in arid or salty conditions by using water stored in its fleshy tissues

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
succulent Scientific  
/ sŭk′yə-lənt /

  1. Any of various plants having fleshy leaves or stems that store water. Cacti and the jade plant are succulents. Succulents are usually adapted to drier environments and display other characteristics that reduce water loss, such as waxy coatings on leaves and stems, fewer stomata than occur on other plants, and stout, rounded stems that minimize surface area.

Other Word Forms

  • succulence noun
  • succulency noun
  • succulently adverb
  • unsucculent adjective
  • unsucculently adverb

Etymology

Origin of succulent

1595–1605; < Late Latin sūculentus, equivalent to Latin sūc ( us ), succus juice + -ulentus -ulent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Stewing a piece of meat until it transforms from leather into something tender and succulent.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025

Marked by notes of spice and cherry, the deep red wine is soft, succulent and eminently drinkable—a wine for a special occasion or a Tuesday night with friends.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

Jeff Koons stood atop a construction lift and planted a small, silvery gray dudleya succulent on the nose of his monumental topiary sculpture “Split-Rocker” at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025

Many of the world's succulent species are only found in the Succulent Karoo desert, which spans South Africa and Namibia.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2024

The crabs had arrived from Eastwatch only this morning, packed in a barrel of snow, and they were succulent.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.