taste

verb \ ˈtāst \

Updated on: 19 Apr 2018

Definition of taste

tasted; tasting

transitive verb

1 : to ascertain the flavor of by taking a little into the mouth

2 : to eat or drink especially in small quantities

3 : to perceive or recognize as if by the sense of taste

4 : to become acquainted with by experience

has tasted the frustration of defeat

5 archaic : appreciate, enjoy

intransitive verb

1 : to have a specific flavor

the apple tastes sour

2 : to eat or drink a little

3 : to test the flavor of something by taking a small part into the mouth

4 : to have perception, experience, or enjoyment : partake —often used with of

See taste defined for English-language learners

See taste defined for kids

Examples of taste in a Sentence

The pie tasted too sweet.
The wine tastes like vinegar.
She said there was garlic in the sauce, but I couldn't really taste it.
Have you ever tasted anything so delicious?
I tasted the tea and put more sugar in it.
She offered to taste the wine.
He tasted the tea to see if it was sweet enough.
This is the first food I've tasted since yesterday.
She talked about the day when she first tasted the joy of flying.
He has tasted the frustration of defeat.

Recent Examples of taste from the Web

The classic version in Ms. Kalman’s book looked, smelled and tasted better, and was simpler to make.

— alice medrich, WSJ, "‘The Perfect Cake’ and ‘Cake’ Reviews: Coconut, Carrot, Pound, Layer . . .," 13 Apr. 2018
One of the weirdest and best-tasting pun dishes is the Can’t Banh Mi Love, a breakfast take on the classic Vietnamese sandwich, which has a weirdly fantastic texture and deeply layered flavors.

— larry olmsted, USA TODAY, "Locals love this New England brunch destination," 10 Apr. 2018
Dishes that sound lavish, thrilling — fennel custard with uni and truffles; monkfish with caviar, kohlrabi, and tarragon bourride — don’t always taste that way.

— devra first, BostonGlobe.com, "Dinner in an almost classical mode, at Mooncusser Fish House," 9 Apr. 2018
The food tastes far too indulgent to be performance-promoting, but that really means nothing.

— michael easter, Outside Online, "Peanut Butter and Jelly Should Fuel Your Next Adventure," 9 Apr. 2018
Some IPAs can taste like pure citrus, while others are strong and bitter.

— mahita gajanan, Time, "How to Talk About Beer Like a Pro on National Beer Day," 7 Apr. 2018
Coffee will taste just as good from mug number 2,343,808.

— james breakwell, Indianapolis Star, "Xploding Unicorn: Parenting Olympics would judge you with cold, hard numbers," 4 Apr. 2018
Watch how it’s done in the video above, then follow her recipe below to taste it for yourself.

— julie mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "Laila Ali Proves That Gumbo Doesn't Have to Be Unhealthy with This Lightened-Up Recipe," 23 Mar. 2018
Eventually, with the Hawks’ deficit deemed insurmountable, Graves abandoned the fouling tactic and accepted his team would taste defeat for just the fifth time in 26 games this season.

— kyle stackpole, Howard County Times, "River Hill boys basketball falls to North Caroline in Class 2A state semifinal," 10 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of taste

Middle English, to touch, test, taste, from Anglo-French taster, from Vulgar Latin *taxitare, frequentative of Latin taxare to touch, feel — more at ²tax

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

taste Synonyms

Synonyms

feel, perceive, scent, see, sense, smell;

ascertain, catch on (to), discover, find out, hear, learn, realize;

anticipate, divine, expect, foreknow, foresee;

assume, conjecture, guess, presume, speculate, suppose, surmise, suspect;

taste

noun

Definition of taste

1 : the objective sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a dissolved substance as perceived by the sense of taste

2 a : a sensation obtained from a substance in the mouth that is typically produced by the stimulation of the sense of taste combined with those of touch and smell : flavor

b : the distinctive quality of an experience

that gruesome scene left a bad taste in my mouth

3 : the special sense that perceives and distinguishes the sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a dissolved substance and is mediated by taste buds on the tongue

4 a : a small amount tasted

b : a small amount : bit; especially : a sample of experience

her first taste of success

c obsolete : the act of tasting

5 : individual preference : inclination

6 a : critical judgment, discernment, or appreciation

b : manner or aesthetic quality indicative of such discernment or appreciation

7 obsolete : test

See taste defined for English-language learners

Examples of taste in a Sentence

The wine had a slightly bitter taste.
She likes the taste of apples and cinnamon.
I detected a strong taste of ginger in the sauce.
The illness affected her sense of taste.

Recent Examples of taste from the Web

And it should be said that, for all his financial lasciviousness, Jefri and his brother had great taste in timepieces.

— wei koh, A-LIST, "How the Watch Industry Plundered the Periodic Table," 3 Apr. 2018
Whether correctly predicting consumer tastes in television shows or music, or finding the best route home in rush hour traffic, the possibilities seem endless.

— marc rey, Fortune, "Commentary: Artificial Intelligence Should Complement, But Never Replace, the Human Connection," 2 Apr. 2018
But attorney Raphael Metzger, who brought the lawsuit and drinks a few cups of coffee a day, said the industry could remove the chemical without impairing taste.

— CBS News, "Starbucks, others must carry cancer warning in California, judge rules," 30 Mar. 2018
Banners are subject to confiscation if the content is commercial, political and/or in bad taste according to the team’s discretion.

— baltimoresun.com, "What you need to know about Orioles' Opening Day at Camden Yards," 29 Mar. 2018
That formal request wasn't made until this week, which some of the other council members thought was in bad taste because current Vice Mayor Laura Pastor is out of the country on city business and was unaware she was being replaced.

— jessica boehm, azcentral, "LGBT community's uproar derails Phoenix Councilman Michael Nowakowski's bid for vice mayor," 21 Mar. 2018
Aside from these foods being very different in taste, texture and function, the Chicken and Dumplings contain egg and wheat.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "Is that a dumpling in my chili? Mixed-up canned foods cause a recall | Miami Herald," 20 Mar. 2018
Another year without acknowledging the evolution in tastes might have argued for the competition’s declining relevance.

— josh noel, chicagotribune.com, "Leading craft beer body (finally) acknowledges the hazy IPA craze," 20 Mar. 2018
The flesh has a mild taste and is served in a variety of preparations—raw or as aburi sushi (where it’s partially seared via blowtorch), boiled with soy sauce and fish broth, or even served with sake as an Izakaya snack.

— princess cruises, Bon Appetit, "5 Fish Sushi Lovers Need to Know," 19 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of taste

14th century

taste Synonyms

TASTE Defined for English Language Learners

taste

verb

Definition of taste for English Language Learners

: to have a particular taste
: to sense the flavor of (something that you are eating or drinking)
: to put a small amount of (food or drink) in your mouth in order to find out what its flavor is

taste

noun

Definition of taste for English Language Learners

: the sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a thing that you can sense when it is in your mouth : the flavor that you can taste when you eat or drink something
: the ability to notice or recognize flavors when you eat or drink : the ability to taste things
: a small amount of food or drink that you have in order to see how it tastes

TASTE Defined for Kids

taste

verb \ ˈtāst \

Definition of taste for Students

tasted; tasting

1 : to find out the flavor of something by taking a little into the mouth

He has never tasted mango.

2 : to have a certain flavor

The milk tastes sour.

3 : to recognize by the sense of taste

I can taste salt in the soup.

4 : to eat or drink usually in small amounts

May I taste your dessert?

5 : ²experience

She has the opportunity to taste big city life.

—

taster

noun

taste

noun

Definition of taste for Students

1 : the sense by which sweet, sour, bitter, or salty flavors are detected through sense organs ( taste buds ) in the tongue

2 : the quality of something recognized by the sense of taste or by this together with smell and touch : flavor

The fruit had a bitter taste.

3 : a small amount tasted

Do you want a taste of the ice cream?

4 : a personal liking

My sister has very expensive tastes.

5 : the ability to choose and enjoy what is good or beautiful

He has good taste in clothes.

6 : a sample of what something is like

… give them a taste of what you can do and you're in, performing for the crowd …
—Karen Hesse, Out of the Dust

Medical Dictionary

taste

verb \ ˈtāst \

medical Definition of taste

tasted; tasting

transitive verb

: to ascertain the flavor of by taking a little into the mouth

intransitive verb

: to have a specific flavor

the milk tastes sour

taste

noun

medical Definition of taste

1 : the one of the special senses that is concerned with distinguishing the sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a dissolved substance and is mediated by taste buds on the tongue

2 : the objective sweet, sour, bitter, or salty quality of a dissolved substance as perceived by the sense of taste

3 : a sensation obtained from a substance in the mouth that is typically produced by the stimulation of the sense of taste combined with those of touch and smell : flavor