taste

verb \ ˈtāst \

|Updated on: 14 Jun 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

Lastly, incorporate the beets into the marinade and toss to coat, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and making adjustments as needed for sweetness, acid and herbs.

— jennifer mcclellan, azcentral, "Recipes: Summer salads from Arizona chef show it's a great time to eat healthy," 5 June 2018
Chile and Morocco both tasted victory on Monday evening, while Italy & the Netherlands and Armenia & Maldova each shared the spoils with their matches ending in a draw.

— SI.com, "International Roundup: Late Chile Goal Hands La Roja Win While Morocco Dominate Slovakia in Geneva," 4 June 2018
Add sea salt and pepper to taste, and a little vinaigrette — maybe a tablespoon or two.

— ellise pierce, star-telegram, "Disguise the greens to beat boring salads this summer," 31 May 2018
Despite wearing a filtered painter's mask, Fintz could literally taste the sulfur, describing it as feeling like glass on the tongue, and his clothes transferred traces into his car that were still noticeable away from the site.

— james burch, National Geographic, "Kilauea Photographers Aid Relief Effort in Hawaii Community," 12 May 2018
Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. 5 To serve, rewarm soup over low heat and ladle into serving bowl.

— claire perez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "'Tis the season for Sweet corn bisque," 4 May 2018
Add salt to taste, and jalapeno if using, depending on your spice preference.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Loaded vegan nachos from David Carter (recipe, photos)," 2 May 2018
Season to taste with salt and remove with a small scraper spatula.

— eric velasco, AL.com, "The best kitchen tools and how to use them," 27 Apr. 2018
More and more, Obama looks like a Moses who led his people out of the wilderness but could not taste the milk and honey of full equality.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Who Represents MLK’s Legacy Today?," 4 Apr. 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

When done right, lobster is tender, succulent and rich in taste.

— phil potempa, Post-Tribune, "From the Farm: Lobsters and chefs share decades of a love-hate relationship," 9 June 2018
Daphne is shrewd, observant, and most delightfully, has a taste for chaos.

— laura bradley, HWD, "Why Anne Hathaway Is the Crown Jewel of Ocean’s 8," 8 June 2018
And others are working with cheesemakers to help them create original cocktails of bacteria to add to the milk so that their cheeses can have a more unique taste.

— alessandra potenza, The Verge, "What bacteria are right for delicious cheese? We went to a cheese cave to find out," 5 June 2018
This is the elusive umami flavor; this is the taste of time.

— ruth reichl, Town & Country, "The Best Hamburgers Start with Dry-Aged Beef," 28 May 2018
The skinny: Savor the tastes of over 150 Illinois craft beers while partaking in a variety of tapping and sampling events in Chicago and around the state.

— hannah steinkopf-frank, RedEye Chicago, "Chicago festivals this week: Memorial Day Parade, Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest, Bike the Drive," 23 May 2018
The to-do in Karnataka, in short, is probably just a taste of the excitement to come.

— The Economist, "A series of reversals forces India’s newest chief minister from office," 19 May 2018
But the shop owner may have a very sleek conventional taste and might discount some unwanted ‘90s piece because their customers did not get it.

— liana satenstein, Vogue, "Meet the Serbian-Berliner Behind Etsy’s Most Addictive Vintage Shop," 17 May 2018
The expansion will increase the zoo’s footprint by 1.5 acres into Julia Davis Park and bring a taste of Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park to Boise.

— dana oland, idahostatesman, "Zoo Boise is about to get bigger and better. Meet the guy who will help make it happen. | Idaho Statesman," 13 May 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