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Meaning & use

opulence

noun·Advancedformal

Last updated

UK/ˈɒpjələns/
US/ˈɑːpjələns/

Meanings

  1. noununcountableformal

    A display of great wealth through rich, expensive and lavish things.

    Grammar: Uncountable: the opulence of the palace.

    Patterns

    • the opulence of something
    • live in opulence

    Guests were amazed by the opulence of the ballroom.

    The hotel lobby was a picture of opulence, with gold trim and crystal lamps.

    He grew up surrounded by opulence but longed for a simple life.

  2. noununcountableliterary

    A great abundance of something, in a way that seems rich and plentiful.

    Grammar: A literary use meaning plenty: an opulence of color.

    Patterns

    • an opulence of something

    The garden bloomed with an opulence of roses.

    The painting is admired for its opulence of color.

    Autumn brought an opulence of fruit to the orchard.

Common combinations

sheer opulence
The villa was sheer opulence from floor to ceiling.
live in opulence
The family lived in opulence for generations.
the opulence of
I was struck by the opulence of the theater.
unashamed opulence
The party was held with unashamed opulence.
baroque opulence
The church is filled with baroque opulence.

Synonyms and how they differ

luxury
Luxury is the everyday word and can mean something comfortable, whereas opulence suggests an obvious, showy richness.
lavishness
Lavishness stresses generous spending and abundance, rather than the rich look of a place.
splendor
Splendor stresses grand beauty, which can come without great expense.
affluence
Affluence refers to having wealth and a comfortable lifestyle, with less emphasis on showing it off.

Opposites

povertyausteritysimplicity

Word family

opulent adjective
very rich and luxurious
opulently adverb
in a rich and lavish way
opus noun
a work, from a related Latin root
opulency noun
a rare variant of opulence

Commonly confused: opulence or affluence? opulence or opaqueness?

opulence vs affluence

Affluence is having plenty of money, while opulence is the visible show of rich surroundings.

opulence vs opaqueness

Opaqueness means not allowing light through and is unrelated in meaning.

Practice

The hotel suite had gold taps, silk curtains and marble floors. A visitor might comment on its ___.

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