Decadence?

So, I'm confused...

This often happens: I think that I know the meaning of a word and I even throw it around in casual conversation, only to find out later that I used it incorrectly. That's fine; I'm happy to refine my personal vocabulary (since it's one of my most beloved possessions), but there are times when I am shocked to discover the true definitions of my thoughtlessly tossed-out words.

Chase and I had an enjoyable time making two decadent cheesecakes for a bake sale.* You know, cheesecakes that were rich and yummy and perhaps a bit over the top? Does this make sense? I thought it did. Here are some synonyms for decadent:

corruption, debasement, decay, decline, degeneracy, degeneration, degradation , devolution, dissipation, dissolution, downfall, downgrade, fall, incontinence, lasciviousness, lechery, lewdness, licentiousness, regression, sensuality, sybaritism

These are not words that I would have chosen to describe our (triple chocolate and chocolate-peanut butter) cheesecakes. I was hoping to convey the idea of deliciousness. I perhaps should have used the words toothfull, dishy, or hunky-dory, just to stay in safe morphological territory. Safer still would have been words like esculent or comestible, words which look fancy but could also be used to describe celery.



I can see the nuanced trail that connects the ugly words above with our decadent cheesecakes when I consider other synonyms like excess, gluttony, and intemperance. Perhaps it was excessive to lick out the bowl in which we melted the chocolate. And I may have been an intemperant glutton when I consumed an entire slice of cheesecake in one sitting. But the cheesecake was decadent. How could I resist?

*The cheesecakes were donated to the children's ministry at our church. Some of the kids helped to organize a bake sale to raise money for a few local organizations who are busy sharing the gospel around town. They raised $150!