délicieux
/de.li.sjø/
The English word 'delightful' is translated into French as délicieux.
délicieux means pleasant or pleasing. While it can be used in a general sense to mean delightful, it is most frequently used to describe food that is delicious. You should use délicieux when emphasizing a sensory pleasure like taste or smell.
Meaning: pleasant, pleasing (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use délicieux when emphasizing a sensory pleasure such as taste or smell, whereas agréable is more common for describing a pleasant experience or atmosphere.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular and masculine plural forms are both délicieux. The feminine singular form is délicieuse and the feminine plural form is délicieuses.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /de.li.sjø/.
Did you know?
- In certain high-society contexts, describing a social interaction as délicieux can carry a hint of irony or sarcasm.
- In French, if you describe a person as délicieux, you are often implying they have a charming or witty personality rather than commenting on their physical taste.
- In high-end French gastronomy, the term délicieux is sometimes considered too generic, and chefs prefer more precise terms like savoureux or exquis.
Examples in context
- C'est ravissant!It's delightful!
- Je suis enchanté(e)!I am delighted!
- C'est vraiment ravissant!It's truly delightful!
- Le parfum de ces fleurs est délicieux.The scent of these flowers is delightful.
- Un repas délicieux nous attend.A delightful meal awaits us.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are eating at a small cafe.
- GabrielTu aimes ton café, Manon ?Do you like your coffee, Manon?
- ManonOui, il est vraiment délicieux.Yes, it is truly delightful.
- GabrielJe suis ravi que ça te plaise.I am glad that you like it.
- ManonC'est un moment parfait.It is a perfect moment.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “delightful” translations and entries délicieux, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
