Fruity

How to spell fruity

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce fruity

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does fruity mean?

1. adjectiveTasting or smelling strongly of fruit.
2. adjectiveOf a voice: rich, deep, and mellow in tone.

Fruity in a sentence

• The punch had a sweet, fruity taste that the children loved.

• The announcer had a warm, fruity voice that carried across the hall.

• She chose a light, fruity white wine to go with the fish.

• His deep, fruity laugh made everyone at the table smile.

Where does fruity come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word is built on 'fruit', which English borrowed from Old French 'fruit' in the 1100s, itself descended from the Latin 'fructus', meaning 'produce' or 'enjoyment', from the verb 'frui', 'to enjoy' or 'to make use of'. So at its Latin root the idea was less about apples and pears and more about reaping the benefit of something. English added the native adjective suffix '-y', meaning 'full of' or 'characterised by', to coin 'fruity' by around the 1650s, originally just meaning 'tasting or smelling of fruit'. Over time it picked up extra senses: a rich, mellow quality in a voice or wine, and a colloquial sense of slightly eccentric or risque. The spelling trap is small but real, since the silent 'i' from 'fruit' is kept while the final 'e'-style ending is simply '-y'.

How the word is built

• fruit (from Latin fructus: produce, fruit)
• -y (adjective suffix: full of, characterised by)