Delectable is an adjective with two main senses. It can describe someone as sexuallyrelated to physical attraction or behavior involving sex attractivepleasing to look at or likely to draw interest, but in everyday use it usually means very delicioustasting very good; enjoyable to eat or pleasing to eat.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-04. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /dih-LEK-tuh-bul/
Easy pronunciation: dih-LEK-tuh-bul (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress on the second syllable: LEK.
Use this pronunciation for the adjective meaning very delicious, not the sexual-attraction sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-11-04. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Delectable Meaning
very delicious
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: extremely pleasing to the sense of taste
Example: The soup was absolutely delectable.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- delicious — Direct, common substitute for food that tastes very good.
- luscious — Works well for rich, appealing food, though it can sound a bit more formal.
- pleasant-tasting — Accurate but less natural than the more common synonyms.
- scrumptious — Very natural in informal speech for delicious food.
- toothsome — Correct but relatively literary or old-fashioned.
- yummy — Common informal synonym for food that tastes very good.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-04. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Delectable
Meaning 2
sexually attractive
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: capable of arousing sexual desire
Example: The actress was described as a delectable beauty.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- sexually attractive — A descriptive phrase rather than a single-word synonym, but it matches this sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-04. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Delectable Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- delicious
- scrumptious
- yummy
sexually attractive
- sexually attractive
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-04. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes use delectable only for food, but it can also describe a person as sexually attractive.
- Do not confuse delectable with delectable-looking; the word itself can already describe the person or thing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-04. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does delectable mean?
Delectable most commonly means very delicious or pleasing to taste. It can also mean sexually attractive in a more literary or older usage.
What are the best synonyms for delectable?
For the food sense, the best synonyms are delicious, scrumptious, and yummy. For the older sense describing a person, sexually attractive is the closest match.
Is delectable a formal word?
It can sound a little formal or old-fashioned, especially when used about a person, but it is still understood in modern English.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-04. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
