taste

verb \ ˈtāst \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Examples: taste in a Sentence

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

How about a masterpiece—a movie so ambitious, and compacted of such unlikely ingredients, that no one’s ever tasted anything quite like it?

— anthony lane, The New Yorker, "Gus Van Sant’s Semi-Surreal “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot”," 13 July 2018
Critic Kim Marcus will take over California Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, while James Molesworth will taste Cabernet.

— esther mobley, SFChronicle.com, "Everything you need to know about Mendocino wine," 12 July 2018
Pork Tenderloin Sandwich No bucket list would be complete without tasting a real Hoosier tenderloin.

— sarah bahr, Indianapolis Star, "Ultimate Indiana bucket list: 50+ things to do in Indianapolis and around the state," 11 July 2018
The fresh-tasting toppings stand up without standing out.

— bethany jean clement, The Seattle Times, "Seattle’s top 4 burger spots — ranked by Seattle Times critics," 10 July 2018
Dysgeusia is a common side effect of chemotherapy and makes food and drinks taste bitter or bland.

— caroline judelson, Fox News, "Czech beer brewed to aid cancer patients with loss of taste, appetite," 10 July 2018
Cormier, 39, is the current UFC light heavyweight champion and has only tasted defeat during his illustrious nine-year career against one man: Jon Jones.

— justin barrasso, SI.com, "Q&A: UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic on Daniel Cormier, Firefighting and More," 6 July 2018
The patties are made freshly and taste better, the chain has its own line of quality condiments and also offers another fantastic take burger rarely seen in fast food, the patty melt.

— larry olmsted, USA TODAY, "America’s unique burger styles, and where to try them," 4 July 2018
Much like the Lakers, the Sixers lack postseason experience and James would be surrounded by players who have barely tasted the postseason.

— CBS News, "LeBron James arrives in L.A. hours before he becomes a free agent," 30 June 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

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 4

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

There’s nothing chicken-flavored about these Pringles, for the record — just as another Pringles stunt flavor, chicken ramen, allegedly had no chicken taste, either.

— maura judkis, Houston Chronicle, "Pringles could never have captured Nashville’s hot chicken in a chip," 13 July 2018
There was a taste of that here in Russia, with Moscow serving as a main base for tens of thousands of supporters, who traveled at great cost to other cities from there.

— martin rogers, USA TODAY, "Qatar is the World Cup every fan should attend," 13 July 2018
The episodic, zig-zagging, fable-like plot of Volcano will not appeal to all tastes, and some of the local references inevitably get lost in translation.

— stephen dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Volcano': Film Review | Karlovy Vary 2018," 13 July 2018
Not unless the potatoes taste like the back of a musty pantry.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: India Oven brings the heat on West Avenue," 12 July 2018
The purpose of the non-alcoholic Mamma Beer is to disguise dysgeusia, or distortion of the taste, the site reports.

— caroline judelson, Fox News, "Czech beer brewed to aid cancer patients with loss of taste, appetite," 10 July 2018
Algal blooms can affect drinking water taste, odor and coloration, and even produce toxins that are difficult to remove with conventional water treatment.

— emily hopkins, Indianapolis Star, "In Hendricks County, Ronald Reagan Parkway extension pits science against growth," 9 July 2018
The brawny sphere exudes enormous beefy taste and, unlike a smash burger, it can be cooked to medium-rare, giving it a deeply satisfying flavor profile.

— jim shahin, charlotteobserver, "The best way to grill a burger keeps it off the grate," 6 July 2018
The critters’ picky eating tendencies also come down to genes: Eschner writes that koalas have a strong sense of smell and taste, which allows them to evaluate leaves based on their bitterness and water content, choosing the juiciest ones.

— meilan solly, Smithsonian, "Newly Mapped Koala Genome Unlocks Secrets of Marsupial’s Diet, Susceptibility to Chlamydia," 3 July 2018

First Known Use of taste

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 7

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

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