savor

noun

sa·vor | \ ˈsā-vər

variants: or less commonly savour

Definition of savor

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the taste or smell of something

2 : a particular flavor or smell

3 : a distinctive quality

savor

verb

variants: or less commonly savour

savored also savoured; savoring also savouring\ ˈsā-vər-iŋ

, ˈsāv-riŋ \

Definition of savor (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to have a specified smell or quality : smack

transitive verb

1 : to give flavor to : season

2a : to have experience of : taste

b : to taste or smell with pleasure : relish

c : to delight in : enjoy savoring the moment

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Other Words from savor

Noun

savorless \ ˈsā-vər-ləs

\ adjective

savorous \ ˈsā-vər-əs

, ˈsāv-rəs \ adjective

Verb

savorer \ ˈsā-vər-ər

\ noun

Synonyms for savor

Synonyms: Noun

flavor, taste

Synonyms: Verb

flavor, lace, season, spice

Examples of savor in a Sentence

Noun

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

Verb

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 on the Web: Noun

The chicken piccata is chicken piccata, but the hormone-free meat is more tender than usual, and the sauce fortified with fresh stock is lighter, but still full of flavor, with a lemony, lingering savor. — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "Jersey Shore restaurants offer tasty food options from Cape May to LBI," 29 June 2018 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Watch it in full below, and savor every royal reference. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "The Jonas Brothers's New Music Video Is Inspired By The Favourite and the Royal Family," 1 Mar. 2019 The book’s superb print quality on heavy bond helps highlight the many great details to be savored, especially in the watercolor animation backgrounds, graphite sketches, antique toys and vintage photos. — John Canemaker, WSJ, "Book Review: Building a Better Mouse," 18 Jan. 2019 Customize your spread with breakfast faves your guests will surely savor. 5. — Taysha Murtaugh And Nicol Natale, Woman's Day, "15 Restaurants Open for Easter Brunch Near Me," 11 Feb. 2019 As more is taken away, that which is left is more deeply savored. — Clare Ansberry, WSJ, "A New Take on Women and Aging," 9 Jan. 2019 From a culinary perspective, hygge is about giving yourself a break from the demands of healthy living, but taking time to bake, savor, and enjoy the process of it. — Anne Roderique-jones, SELF, "I Practiced Hygge and It's Kind of the Best Thing Ever," 25 Dec. 2018 Is the consumer seeking to savor, indulge or celebrate? — San Antonio Express-News, "Not the beer that matters, it’s the bottle, right marketers?," 28 June 2018 And Texas offshore anglers, especially those who savor catching (and eating) red snapper, have reason to look forward to the coming month and more. — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Better days ahead for Texas offshore anglers," 23 June 2018 Americans and their guests are savor the opportunity to understand the past more fully, said Johnson, who serves on the board of Rolling Thunder Michigan Chapter 4. — Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, "Ship that landed on D-Day, then hauled autos, now a museum in Muskegon," 24 May 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.

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The first known use of savor was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for savor

savor

noun

English Language Learners Definition of savor

(Entry 1 of 2)

formal

: a good taste or smell

literary : the quality that makes something interesting or enjoyable

savor

verb

English Language Learners Definition of savor (Entry 2 of 2)

formal

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

: to enjoy (something) for a long time

See the full definition for savor in the English Language Learners Dictionary

savor

noun

sa·vor | \ ˈsā-vər

Kids Definition of savor

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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