euphonious
adjUK /juːˈfəʊ.nɪ.əs/ · US /juˈfoʊ.ni.əs/
Etymology
From euphonical + -ous (suffix forming adjectives denoting possession or presence of a quality, commonly in abundance). Euphonical is derived from euphonic + -al (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’); with euphonic from euphony + -ic (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’), and euphony borrowed from French euphonie, from Ancient Greek εὐφωνία (euphōnía), from εὐ- (eu-, prefix meaning ‘good, well’) + φωνή (phōnḗ, “sound; (human) voice; discourse, speech”) (from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say, speak”)) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, suffix forming feminine abstract nouns).
1
Of sounds, especially speech: demonstrating or possessing euphony; agreeable to the ear; pleasant-sounding.
- Before I ſet forward on my travels, I choſe to change my name from Collier to Coglioni or Collioni, as more euphonious; […]1775, Joel Collier [pseudonym; George Veal], Musical Travels in England. […], 3rd edition, London: […] G. Kearsly, […], →OCLC, page 5:
- We think it difficult to copy more successfully a model so curiously polished as the Botanic Garden; to assemble ideas more luxuriously elegant; to annex epithets more unexpectedly apposite: or to harmonize couplets more imitative and euphonious.1797 December, “Art. XIV. The Vales of Wever, a Loco-descriptive Poem, Inscribed to the Rev. John Granville, of Calwich, Staffordshire. By J. Gisborne, Esq. 4to. pp. 88. 5s. Boards. Stockdale. 1797. [book review]”, in The Monthly Review; or, Literary Journal, Enlarged, volume XXIV, London: […] R[alph] Griffiths; and sold by T[homas] Becket, […], →OCLC, pages 434–435:
4 more examples
- I know our theatrical managers, major and minor, are very particular in selecting euphonious titles for their melodramas, especially if on a domestic subject, such as "Bennet, the Butcher," "Davidge, the Dustman," "Harley, the Harper," "Vining, the Vintner." Why those very titles alone, by their tickling effect on the ear, would fill the pit and galleries of the Surrey, Victoria, or Adelphi theatres, for twelve consecutive months, if the pieces bearing those euphonious names were immediately produced.1837 March, “The Autobiography of an Actress of Our Own Times. With Sketches of Her Contemporaries.”, in The Metropolitan Magazine, volume XVIII, number LXXI, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, page 298:
- After casting about for some time for a name which should be worthy of her, he decided in favour of Sophronia Sphynx, as being euphonious and genteel, and furthermore indicative of mystery.1840 April – 1841 November, Charles Dickens, “Chapter the Last”, in The Old Curiosity Shop. A Tale. […], volume II, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1841, →OCLC, page 220:
- Many persons, hoping to appear polite, deprive their words of the letter "r," which gives a forcible and euphonious ending to many English words and syllables. This is a peculiarity of the cockney dialect, spoken by the lowest classes in the city of London, but on being transported across the Atlantic it is adopted by many who would be thought refined.1857 February, W. H. Barnes, “Charms and Harms of Conversation”, in D[avis] W[asgatt] Clark, editor, The Ladies’ Repository: A Monthly Periodical, Devoted to Literature and Religion, volume XVII, Cincinnati, Oh.: L. Swormstedt and A. Poe; […], →OCLC, page 66, column 1:
- I have, on a former occasion, suggested the expediency of searching out the original Indian names of places, and wherever they are striking and euphonious, and those by which they have been superseded are glaringly objectionable, to restore them. They would have the merit of originality, and of belonging to the country; and they would remain as reliques of the native lords of the soil, when every other vestige had disappeared.a. 1860 (date written), Washington Irving, “National Nomenclature”, in Wolfert’s Roost, and Miscellanies (Lovell’s Library; volume 6, number 321), New York, N.Y.: John W. Lovell, Company, […], published 21 December 1883, →OCLC, page 71:
- Synonyms
- ariose, birdsweet, canorous, concentual, dulcet, euphonic, euphonical, euphonious, euphonous, harmonious, harmonical, listenable, mellifluent, mellifluous, melodic, melodious, musical, soundful, symphonious, tunable, tuneful
- Antonyms
- cacophonous
- Derived terms
- euphoniously, euphoniousness, noneuphonious, uneuphonious
- Related terms
- euphonia, euphoniad, euphonic, euphonical, euphonically, euphonism, euphonistic, euphonium, euphonization, euphonize, euphonon, euphonous, euphony, pleasant, clear, soft, sweet
- Hyponyms
- rhythmic, rhythmical, silvery, sonorous, trilly, honey-mouthed, honey-tongued, silver-tongued