epicurean

/ˌɛp.ɪ.kjʊəˈɹiː.n̩/

//ˌɛp.ɪ.kjʊəˈɹiː.n̩// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"epicurean" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“epicurean” is an uncommon English word, ranked #66,639 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#66,639
frequency rank, English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pursuing pleasure, especially in reference to food or comfort.

Key facts for epicurean
PropertyValue
Headwordepicurean
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌɛp.ɪ.kjʊəˈɹiː.n̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#66,639
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “epicurean” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). epicurean lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for epicurean is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɛp.ɪ.kjʊəˈɹiː.n̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #66,639 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for epicurean in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Epicurean (“follower of Epicureanism”). The correct English form is epicurean, spelled E-P-I-C-U-R-E-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pursuing pleasure, especially in reference to food or comfort.
  2. 2
    Devoted to luxurious living.

Etymology

From Epicurean (“follower of Epicureanism”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "epicurean"?
"epicurean" is spelled E-P-I-C-U-R-E-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛp.ɪ.kjʊəˈɹiː.n̩/.
What does "epicurean" mean?
As an adjective, "epicurean" means: Pursuing pleasure, especially in reference to food or comfort.
How do you pronounce "epicurean"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "epicurean" is /ˌɛp.ɪ.kjʊəˈɹiː.n̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "epicurean"?
From Epicurean (“follower of Epicureanism”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “epicurean”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-P-I-C-U-R-E-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɛp.ɪ.kjʊəˈɹiː.n̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list