View synonyms for taste

taste

[ teyst ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

, tast·ed, tast·ing.

to try or test the flavor or quality of (something) by taking some into the mouth:
to taste food.
Synonyms: savor
to eat or drink a little of:
She barely tasted her dinner.
to eat or drink (often used in negative constructions):
He hadn't tasted food for three days.
to perceive or distinguish the flavor of:
to taste the wine in a sauce.
to have or get experience, especially a slight experience:
these young men who had only begun to taste life.
to perceive in any way.
Archaic. to enjoy or appreciate.
Obsolete.
1. to examine by touch; feel.
2. to test or try.

verb (used without object)

, tast·ed, tast·ing.

to try the flavor or quality of something.
to eat or drink a little (usually followed by of ):
She tasted of the cake.
to perceive or distinguish the flavor of anything.
to have experience of something, however limited or slight.
to have a particular flavor (often followed by of ):
The coffee tastes bitter. The bread tastes of mold.
to smack or savor (usually followed by of ):
The story tastes of treason.

noun

the act of tasting food or drink.
the sense by which the flavor or savor of things is perceived when they are brought into contact with the tongue.
the sensation or quality as perceived by this sense; flavor.
a small quantity tasted; a morsel, bit, or sip.
a relish, liking, or partiality for something:
a taste for music.
Synonyms: predisposition, appreciation, disposition, fondness
Antonyms: antipathy
the sense of what is fitting, harmonious, or beautiful; the perception and enjoyment of what constitutes excellence in the fine arts, literature, fashion, etc.
Synonyms: judgment, perception, discernment
the sense of what is seemly, polite, tactful, etc., to say or do in a given social situation.
one's personal attitude or reaction toward an aesthetic phenomenon or social situation, regarded as either good or bad.
the ideas of aesthetic excellence or of aesthetically valid forms prevailing in a culture or personal to an individual:
a sample of Victorian taste; I consulted only my own taste in decorating this room.
the formal idiom preferred by a certain artist or culture; style; manner:
a façade in the Baroque taste.
a slight experience or a sample of something:
a taste of adventure.
a feeling or sensation resulting from an experience:
a compromise that left a bad taste in her mouth.
Obsolete. test or trial.

taste

/ teɪst /

noun

the sense by which the qualities and flavour of a substance are distinguished by the taste buds
the sensation experienced by means of the taste buds
the act of tasting
a small amount eaten, drunk, or tried on the tongue
a brief experience of something
a taste of the whip
a preference or liking for something; inclination
to have a taste for danger
the ability to make discerning judgments about aesthetic, artistic, and intellectual matters; discrimination
to have taste
judgment of aesthetic or social matters according to a generally accepted standard
bad taste
discretion; delicacy
that remark lacks taste
obsolete.
the act of testing

verb

to distinguish the taste of (a substance) by means of the taste buds
usually tr to take a small amount of (a food, liquid, etc) into the mouth, esp in order to test the quality
to taste the wine
often foll by of to have a specific flavour or taste
the tea tastes of soap
this apple tastes sour
whenintr, usually foll by of to have an experience of (something)
to taste success
tr an archaic word for enjoy
obsolete.
tr to test by touching

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Derived Forms

ˈtastable, adjective

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Other Words From

tasta·ble tastea·ble adjective
pre·taste noun verb (used with object) pretasted pretasting
re·taste verb retasted retasting
un·tasta·ble adjective
un·tastea·ble adjective
un·tasted adjective
un·tasting adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of taste¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English tasten “to touch, taste,” from Old French taster “to touch, explore by touching” ( Middle French: “to touch, taste”); cognate with Italian tastare, Provençal, Old Spanish tastar, of uncertain origin; (noun) Middle English tast “sense of touch, a trying, tasting,” from Old French, derivative of taster

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Word History and Origins

Origin of taste¹

C13: from Old French taster, ultimately from Latin taxāre to appraise

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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

to one's taste, agreeable or pleasing to one:
He couldn't find any ties that were completely to his taste.
taste blood. blood ( def 24 ).

More idioms and phrases containing taste

see acquired taste ; dose (taste) of one's own medicine ; leave a bad taste in one's mouth ; no accounting for tastes ; poor taste .

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Synonym Study

Taste, flavor, savor refer to a quality that is perceived when a substance is placed upon the tongue. Taste is the general word: the taste of roast beef. Flavor is a characteristic taste, usually of a pleasing kind, and as of some ingredient put into the food: lemon flavor. Savor, much less common than taste or flavor, implies pleasing scent as well as taste or flavor, and connotes enjoyment in tasting: The sauce has an excellent savor.

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Example Sentences

The taste of metal cutlery after years of plastic can also taste funny.

From The Daily Beast

Whisk in the half and half and season to taste with salt and pepper.

From The Daily Beast

To the uninitiated, this might smack of poor taste and inappropriate timing.

From The Daily Beast

The correspondent does a stand-up next to a burning pile of heroin and gets a taste of its effect.

From The Daily Beast

For Paul, the thrill of breakfast with the Reverend, may be giving way to the taste of burnt toast.

From The Daily Beast

She was flushed and felt intoxicated with the sound of her own voice and the unaccustomed taste of candor.

From Project Gutenberg

In connection with this step the practice of melodies is useful, if one has musical taste.

From Project Gutenberg

She fancied there was a sympathy of thought and taste between them, in which fancy she was mistaken.

From Project Gutenberg

A world that has known five years of fighting has lost its taste for the honest drudgery of work.

From Project Gutenberg

I had no idea of going back to Benton right away, and sitting around Fort Walsh waiting for something to turn up was not my taste.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Tasso taste bud

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