1

savor

noun sa·vor \ ˈsā-vər \

variants: or less commonly savour

|Updated on: 1 Aug 2018

Examples: savor in a Sentence

Definition of savor

1 : the taste or smell of something

2 : a particular flavor or smell

3 : a distinctive quality

—

savorless

play \ˈsā-vər-ləs\ adjective

—

savorous

play \ˈsā-vər-əs, ˈsāv-rəs\ adjective

See savor defined for English-language learners

See savor defined for kids

Examples of savor in a Sentence

Without her love, life has lost its savor for me.
a gourmet who can identify the ingredients in any dish solely by their savor

Recent Examples of savor from the Web

Handcraft never ceases to impress Lovers of craft had lots of savor at NYCxDesign this year.

— jenny xie, Curbed, "All the NYCxDesign 2018 highlights you should know," 30 May 2018
The tri-tip was unfortunately dry and might have been better sliced rather than cubed, but the onion rings on top added savor.

— kate washington, sacbee, "Rancho Cordova's Back to the 80's Café is, like, totally rad | The Sacramento Bee," 9 Mar. 2018
The Israeli pianist David Greilsammer savors bold juxtapositions in his programming, as evidenced by a 2014 recording that placed the 18th-century keyboard works of Domenico Scarlatti in intimate dialogue with the music of John Cage.

— jeremy eichler, BostonGlobe.com, "Sparkling Mozart, spellbinding Donizetti, and dancing Bach," 8 Mar. 2018
Shrimp on sugarcane – a paste that’s a little sweet, with a briny savor – was a great counterpoint to small nibbles of those wildly hot chile peppers.

— kate washington, sacbee, "Dining review: Get your ‘broken rice’ fix at South Sacramento Com Tam Dat Thanh | The Sacramento Bee," 9 Feb. 2018
His mercurial jurisprudence replicates and even gives the savor of legitimacy to a closely divided country.

— michael brendan dougherty, National Review, "Anthony Kennedy Can’t Be Allowed to Die," 23 Jan. 2018
Food at Pujol is prepared in a kitchen with no burners or sauté pans, most dishes seared on a wood grill and finished in an oven to preserve the familiarly Mexican savor of smoke.

— guy trebay, Condé Nast Traveler, "A Food-and-Art Bender in Mexico City," 20 Dec. 2017
Tiger nut—not a nut but a little sedge tuber—is very sweet and very beige, with tiny particles floating throughout and a faint savor of rubber.

— Vogue, "Exploring the Wild World of Milk Alternatives," 15 Dec. 2017
So much that had animated his life had lost its savor.

— eric felten, WSJ, "Review: Is That All There Is?," 19 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'savor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of savor

Middle English, from Anglo-French savur, from Latin sapor, from sapere to taste — more at sage

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

savor Synonyms

Synonyms

delectability, deliciousness, lusciousness, palatability, palatableness, savoriness, tastiness, toothsomeness;

Antonyms

distastefulness, flatness, insipidity, staleness, tastelessness, unpalatability;

Related Words

digestibility, edibility, edibleness;

choiceness, daintiness, delicacy;

2

savor

verb

variants: or less commonly savour

Definition of savor

savored also savoured; savoring also savouring play \ˈsā-vər-iŋ, ˈsāv-riŋ\

intransitive verb

: to have a specified smell or quality : smack

transitive verb

1 : to give flavor to : season

2 a : to have experience of : taste

b : to taste or smell with pleasure : relish

c : to delight in : enjoy

savoring the moment

—

savorer

play \ˈsā-vər-ər\ noun

See savor defined for English-language learners

Examples of savor in a Sentence

He savored the aroma of the baking pies.
They savored every last morsel of food.
She was just savoring the moment.
The team is still savoring its victory.
He savored the memories of his vacation.

Recent Examples of savor from the Web

Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% 0:00 / 0:50 Keller Central savors its season-opening victory against Birdville Advertisement Keller Central coach Bart Helsley and linebacker Jacob Felczak discuss the Chargers' 17-16 win over Birdville.

— brian gosset, star-telegram, "'The U' just offered this 4-star DFW recruit," 26 June 2018
Here, the composer’s sophisticated sense of instrumental shading could be as richly savored as his deft handling of thematic development.

— tim smith, baltimoresun.com, "John Williams makes electrifying return to BSO, shares podium with Marin Alsop," 14 June 2018
Play with the pressure to see what your guy savors.

— Redbook, "33 Sexy Places to Touch Your Guy," 30 Oct. 2017
Golden Dawn Arkestra, Children of the Sun For me, savoring summer in Chicago means sitting on a patio, imbibing, and listening to music.

— jamie ludwig, Chicago Reader, "Stephanie Marlow of Indie Publicity on a brutal band with a soft spot for pitties," 10 July 2018
Therefore, the frenzy so many of us savored a year ago, when the starry likes of Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Kyrie Irving and Carmelo Anthony scored new addresses, won’t be easily replicated.

— marc stein, New York Times, "The N.B.A. Has the Hottest Stove. LeBron James Is the Flame.," 30 June 2018
All of them, really, were talking about something that they and Nick Foles himself had savored much longer, and always will.

— mike sielski, Philly.com, "After the Eagles' Super Bowl win, Nick Foles has become more than a mere celebrity | Mike Sielski," 29 June 2018
As Democrats sweat out the results, Republican nominee Redmer savored his victory and began working toward the general election campaign.

— pamela wood, baltimoresun.com, "Absentee, provisional ballots could swing tight Democratic primary for Baltimore County executive," 27 June 2018
Sit courtside — or beachside in Malibu — and savor wins and relevance.

— shawn windsor, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Pistons Tom Gores, no show or not, must nail Dwane Casey pick," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'savor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of savor

13th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

savor Synonyms

Synonyms

adore, delight (in), dig, enjoy, fancy, get off (on), groove (on), like, love, rejoice (in), relish, revel (in);

Near Antonyms

abhor, abominate, detest, dislike, hate, loathe;

condemn, despise, scorn;

Related Words

admire, appreciate, cherish, revere, venerate, worship;

prize, treasure, value;

devour, drink (in), eat (up), feast (on);

dote (on), idolize;

cotton (to), favor, prefer;

indulge (in), luxuriate (in), wallow (in);

Phrases

be partial to, get a kick out of (or charge), go for, have a soft spot for, take to;

SAVOR Defined for English Language Learners

savor

noun

Definition of savor for English Language Learners

: a good taste or smell
: the quality that makes something interesting or enjoyable

savor

verb

Definition of savor for English Language Learners

: to enjoy the taste or smell of (something) for as long as possible
: to enjoy (something) for a long time

SAVOR Defined for Kids

1

savor

noun sa·vor \ ˈsā-vər \

Definition of savor for Students

: the taste or smell of something

… the air was full of the savor of clover fields …
—Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

the savor of fresh mint

2

savor

verb

Definition of savor for Students

savored; savoring

1 : to taste or smell with pleasure

I savored my meal.

2 : to delight in

The team savored its victory.

Learn More about savor

See words that rhyme with savor Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for savor Spanish Central: Translation of savor Nglish: Translation of savor for Spanish speakers

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