relish

1 of 2

noun

rel·​ish ˈre-lish 

1

: characteristic flavor

especially : pleasing or zestful flavor

2

: a quantity just sufficient to flavor or characterize : trace

3

a

: enjoyment of or delight in something that satisfies one's tastes, inclinations, or desires

eat with great relish

b

: a strong liking : inclination

has little relish for sports

4

a

: something adding a zestful flavor

especially : a condiment (as of pickles or green tomatoes) eaten with other food to add flavor

b

: appetizer, hors d'oeuvre

relish

2 of 2

verb

relished; relishing; relishes

transitive verb

1

: to add relish to

2

: to be pleased or gratified by : enjoy

3

: to eat or drink with pleasure

4

: to appreciate with taste and discernment

intransitive verb

: to have a characteristic or pleasing taste

relishable

ˈre-li-shə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms

Noun

• liking
• like
• appetite
• taste
• love
• preference

Verb

• enjoy
• love
• like

Examples of relish in a Sentence

Noun

I like to eat hot dogs with mustard and relish.

She plays the role with great relish.

He took particular relish in pointing out my error.

Verb

I relish traveling to new places.

I don't relish the idea of working late tonight.

He relishes the chance to compete again.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Pile them on a sandwich or burger, turn them into a relish or dressing, or better yet eat them straight out of the jar. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 9 July 2025

Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls. —Benjamin Hale june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025

Verb

But even as the pair appear to be relishing the reported success of the missions — which the Pentagon last week said had set back Tehran’s nuclear program by up to two years — several security issues remain on the table. —Caitlin McFall, FOXNews.com, 7 July 2025

Dreamwave used to play Rocket League with other YouTuber-archivists, and relished the raw thoughts people left on his videos. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of Middle English reles odor, taste, from Middle French, something left behind, release — more at release

First Known Use

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1566, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for relish

• hellish
• embellish

Kids Definition

relish

1 of 2 noun

rel·​ish ˈrel-ish 

1

: a pleasing appetizing taste

2

: a small bit added for flavor : dash

3

a

: enjoyment or delight in something

eat with great relish

b

: a strong liking

4

: a highly seasoned food (as of pickles or mustard) eaten with other food to add flavor

relish

2 of 2 verb

1

: to add relish to

2

: to be pleased by : enjoy

3

: to eat or drink with pleasure

relishable

-ə-bəl 

adjective