lush
/lʌʃ/
adjective
Origin
Old French
lasche — loose, slack, or lax
Overview
Meaning Now
- Growing luxuriantly; characterized by thick, healthy vegetation.
- Extravagantly luxurious or opulent.
- A person who habitually drinks alcohol to excess (slang).
Literal older meaning
thick or succulent (of vegetation)
Language path
Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
lusch
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word shifted from the Old French 'lasche' (loose/slack), which originally described things lacking firmness, to describe vegetation that was 'soft' with moisture, eventually gaining its modern association with high-quality, rich, or opulent environments.
Evolution
- Latin
lascus
“slack”
- Old French
lasche
“lax, soft, or weak”
- Middle English
lusch
“slack or soft”
originally implied physical softness or lack of firmness
- 17th century English
lush
“luxuriant or succulent”
shift from negative 'slack' to positive 'vigorous growth'
Connections
Word parts
lush
root
luxuriant or soft
Related across languages
French
lâche
cowardly or loose
Spanish
laxo
lax
Related words
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Related to lush
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.