sybarite

/ˈsɪbəɹaɪt/

//ˈsɪbəɹaɪt// noun

"sybarite" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sybarite” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person devoted to luxury and pleasure; a hedonist.

Key facts for sybarite
PropertyValue
Headwordsybarite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪbəɹaɪt/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sybarite” sits in English frequency

sybarite falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for sybarite is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɪbəɹaɪt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A person devoted to luxury and pleasure; a hedonist.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for sybarite, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is a learned borrowing from Latin Sybarīta + English -ite (suffix forming demonyms). Sybarīta is derived from Ancient Greek Σῠβᾰρῑ́της (Sŭbărī́tēs, “(noun) inhabitant of Sybaris; (adjective) decadent; self-indulgent”), from Σῠ́βᾰρῐς (Sŭ́bărĭs, “Syb… The correct English form is sybarite, spelled S-Y-B-A-R-I-T-E.

Definition

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

Etymology

The noun is a learned borrowing from Latin Sybarīta + English -ite (suffix forming demonyms). Sybarīta is derived from Ancient Greek Σῠβᾰρῑ́της (Sŭbărī́tēs, “(noun) inhabitant of Sybaris; (adjective) decadent; self-indulgent”), from Σῠ́βᾰρῐς (Sŭ́bărĭs, “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.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "sybarite"?
"sybarite" is spelled S-Y-B-A-R-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪbəɹaɪt/.
What does "sybarite" mean?
As a noun, "sybarite" means: A person devoted to luxury and pleasure; a hedonist.
How do you pronounce "sybarite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sybarite" is /ˈsɪbəɹaɪt/. 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 "sybarite"?
The noun is a learned borrowing from Latin Sybarīta + English -ite (suffix forming demonyms). Sybarīta is derived from Ancient Greek Σῠβᾰρῑ́της (Sŭbărī́tēs, “(noun) inhabitant of Sybaris; (adjective) decadent; self-indulgent”), from Σῠ́βᾰρῐς (Sŭ́b... 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 “sybarite”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-Y-B-A-R-I-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɪbəɹaɪt/ (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