opulence

6 antonyms and opposites of opulence, grouped by meaning.

Noun — Great wealth displayed in a lavish, visibly expensive way.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

Great wealth displayed in a lavish, visibly expensive way.

“The opulence of the ballroom, all gilt and chandeliers, made her feel underdressed.”

luxury lavishness splendour extravagance sumptuousness

Opposites

austerity frugality poverty plainness

2. noun

Abundance of a resource; the state of having a great deal of something.

“The opulence of the harvest kept the village fed through a hard winter.”

abundance plenty profusion

Opposites

scarcity dearth

Antonyms

austerity frugality poverty plainness scarcity dearth

How to use opulence

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

sheer opulence gilded opulence an air of opulence opulence and excess

Formal and literary; common in interiors, fashion and travel writing.

Etymology

From Latin opulentia 'wealth, riches', from opulentus 'rich', related to ops 'power, resources'.

Full origin of opulence →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between opulence and wealth?

Wealth is simply how much you have; opulence is how conspicuously it is spent and shown. A very rich person living in a plain house has wealth without opulence.

Is opulence a compliment?

It depends on the writer's tone. Applied to architecture, fabrics or interiors it is usually admiring. Applied to someone's lifestyle it often carries a hint of excess or vulgarity.

What is the adjective form?

Opulent, as in an opulent suite or opulent velvet drapes. The adverb is opulently.

People also searched

plenty poverty luxury abundance austerity scarcity lavishness sumptuousness profusion dearth extravagance splendour

Nearby words

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