sybarite

See also: Sybarite

English

WOTD – 11 January 2006

Etymology

The noun is a learned borrowing from Latin Sybarīta + English -ite (suffix forming demonyms). Sybarīta is derived from Ancient Greek Σῠβᾰρῑ́της (Subarī́tēs, “(noun) inhabitant of Sybaris; (adjective) decadent; self-indulgent”), from Σῠ́βᾰρῐς (Súbaris, “Sybaris”) + -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs, suffix forming demonyms)). Sybaris, a city of Magna Graecia (the coastal parts of Sicily and southern Italy once colonized by Greek settlers), was known for its wealth and the excesses and hedonism of its inhabitants.

The adjective is derived from the noun.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪbəɹaɪt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪbəˌɹaɪt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: sy‧bar‧ite

Noun

sybarite (plural sybarites)

1. A person devoted to luxury and pleasure; a hedonist.

   Synonyms: voluptuary; see also Thesaurus:sensualist

   Antonym: hedonophobe

   • 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.

   • 2009 January 22, Stephen Holden, “Passion and Pain at Sea, With Fatal Consequences”, in New York Times‎^[1]:

     Lisa (Sian Breckin), the blondest and wildest of the women; Kim (Jamie Winstone), who is ready and willing; and Tammi (Nichola Burley), the most reluctant sybarite, are from Leeds.

   • 2011 December 16, William Grimes, “Christopher Hitchens, Polemicist Who Slashed All, Freely, Dies at 62”, in New York Times‎^[2]:

     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.

Translations

person devoted to luxury and pleasure

• Bulgarian: тънещ в разкош (tǎnešt v razkoš)
• Catalan: sibarita (ca) m or f
• Dutch: wellusteling (nl), sensualist m, sybariet m, priaap m, sater (nl) m
• Finnish: nautiskelija (fi), sybariitti (fi)
• French: sybarite (fr) m
• Galician: sibarita m or f
• German: Schlemmer (de) m
• Greek:

  Ancient: τρυφητής m (truphētḗs)

• Hungarian: élvhajhász (hu), szibarita (hu)
• Portuguese: sibarita (pt) m or f
• Russian: сибари́т (ru) m (sibarít)
• Slovene: sibarit m
• Spanish: sibarita (es) m

Adjective

sybarite (comparative more sybarite, superlative most sybarite)

1. Synonym of sybaritic (“of or having the qualities of a sybarite; dedicated to excessive comfort and enjoyment; decadent, hedonistic, self-indulgent”)

Translations

synonym of sybaritic — see sybaritic

Further reading

• Sybaris on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• bestiary

French

Etymology

From Latin Sybarita.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si.ba.ʁit/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

sybarite (plural sybarites)

1. related to Sybaris
2. soft, effeminate, living in pleasure and luxury

   Synonyms: délicat, jouisseur, sensuel, voluptueux

   Ces docteurs frivoles, ces philosophes sybarites qui repoussent toute pensée sérieuse. (Jouy, Hermite, t. 2, 1812)

Derived terms

• sybaritisme

Related terms

• sybaritique

Noun

sybarite m (plural sybarites)

1. sybarite, person devoted to pleasure and luxury

   Synonym: jouisseur

   Antonym: ascète

   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)

Further reading

• “sybarite”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.