felicitous
Definitions
(of words or style) well-chosen and aptly expressed; pleasingly fitting
（措辞或风格）精当贴切的，巧妙的
Fortunate; happily suited to the occasion
恰逢其时的，幸运合宜的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedfelic (happy, lucky) + -ous (full of) = "full of happy luck." The leap to its main modern sense — "aptly worded" — runs through the idea of a "happy choice": a phrase so well-suited it seems guided by fortune. So felicitous praises wording that lands perfectly, not a cheerful mood.
Root felic still carries 3 more wordsWhy It Means This
The word trips people up because it almost never means "happy." English keeps a parallel idiom — "a happy phrase," "a happy accident" — where happy means fortunate and apt. Felicitous is that sense made into one elegant adjective: a wording or event that fits as if blessed.
Common Collocations
- 1.a felicitous phrase精当的措辞
- 2.felicitous choice of words巧妙的用词选择
- 3.a felicitous coincidence巧合的恰逢其时
Example Sentences
- 1.
The speech ended with a felicitous quotation that summed up everything.
- 2.
It was a felicitous choice of words for such a delicate moment.
- 3.
By a felicitous coincidence, both flights landed at the same gate.
Easily Confused
felicitous vs felicity vs happy — felicitous = aptly worded/fitting (a felicitous phrase); felicity = the noun, either happiness or a graceful turn of phrase; happy = the everyday emotion. Don't use felicitous to describe a cheerful person — use it for words, phrases, and lucky fits.
Synonym Comparison
- felicitous — aptly, gracefully worded; perfectly fitting
- apt — exactly suitable, on point (neutral register)
- fitting — appropriate to the occasion
- well-chosen — plainly says the choice was good
- fortunate — lucky in outcome, not about wording