appetizing

adjective

ap·​pe·​tiz·​ing ˈa-pə-ˌtī-ziŋ 

: appealing to the appetite especially in appearance or aroma

also : appealing to one's taste

an appetizing display of merchandise

appetizingly

ˈa-pə-ˌtī-ziŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• delicious
• edible

Choose the Right Synonym for appetizing

palatable, appetizing, savory, tasty, toothsome mean agreeable or pleasant especially to the sense of taste.

palatable often applies to something that is found to be merely agreeable.

butterflies that birds find palatable

appetizing suggests a whetting of the appetite and applies to aroma and appearance as well as taste.

appetizing hors d'oeuvres

savory applies to both taste and aroma and suggests piquancy and often spiciness.

dumplings with savory fillings

tasty implies a pronounced taste.

a tart and tasty pie

toothsome stresses the notion of agreeableness and sometimes implies tenderness or daintiness.

an enticing array of toothsome desserts

Examples of appetizing in a Sentence

While the stew may not look very appetizing, it tastes wonderful.

that dish looks very appetizing

Recent Examples on the Web

Don’t let the appetizing description fool you. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 28 Aug. 2025

Gas station food may not be appetizing to everyone, but gas station restaurants are another story. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2025

Going into this season, the offering looks a lot more appetizing. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Aug. 2025

While this might not be the most appetizing expression to say after a meal, that’s just what Southerners will say at the end of Thanksgiving dinner each year. —Brennan Long, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French appétissant (going back to Middle French, from apetit, appetit appetite + -issant, present participle ending of most -ir verbs), with conformation of -issant to -ize and -ing entry 3

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for appetizing

• advertising
• amortizing
• analyzing
• anodizing
• atomizing
• authorising
• authorizing
• carbonizing
• carburizing
• catalyzing
• centralising
• centralizing

Kids Definition

appetizing

adjective

ap·​pe·​tiz·​ing ˈap-ə-ˌtī-ziŋ 

: appealing to the appetite

appetizingly adverb