taste

verb

\ ˈtāst

tasted; tasting

Definition of taste

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

taste

noun

Definition of taste (Entry 2 of 2)

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

2a : 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

4a : 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

6a : critical judgment, discernment, or appreciation

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

7 obsolete : test

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Examples of taste in a Sentence

Verb

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.

Noun

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 on the Web: Verb

Turn the burner to the lowest possible setting and cook, whisking occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the veloute doesn’t taste floury. — Barbara Mahany, chicagotribune.com, "Retro cookbooks offer comforts from another era for these uncertain times," 29 June 2018 The woman tossed back her sake and couldn’t taste either. — Weike Wang, The New Yorker, "Omakase," 6 June 2018 Radiation has improved significantly over the last decade, so that the horror stories about how patients after radiation can’t swallow, have feeding tubes, can’t taste their food, all of these are really nonexistent anymore. — Shayne Benowitz, miamiherald, "Oral sex is causing a big jump in HPV throat cancer in men | Miami Herald," 24 May 2018 Cleveland's Best manager Kristen Davis says: Doesn't taste like much. — cleveland.com, "Erie Burger Co. in Avon Lake a newer place to grab a bite: Cleveland's Best Burger contest," 6 May 2018 He hadn’t even tasted wine until the night before interviewing for a job in an Edna Valley tasting room. — Matt Jaffe, Los Angeles Magazine, "San Luis Obispo Has Ocean Breezes—and Two Wine Regions," 27 Apr. 2018 Sixteen home brewers each night bring their concoctions for attendees to taste, provide feedback and choose the best. — Sheryl Devore, Lake County News-Sun, "Lake Zurich offers one of first brew fests on tap this season," 24 Apr. 2018 Your favorite candy won’t immediately taste different — the FDA imposed a two-year deadline on manufacturers to find an alternative to these synthetic flavors. — Bartie Scott, Teen Vogue, "FDA Bans Certain Chemicals Often Used to Create Citrus, Mint, and Cinnamon Flavors in Things Like Ice Cream," 9 Oct. 2018 The sausage comes with a choice of sides; cucumber salad, fairly lush with fresh dill, is the bomb; the house red cabbage tasted more of cinnamon than the usual cloves, still in the warm-spice family. — Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "International flavors, down at the corner bar, are an American experience," 3 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Those connections give one a peculiar and exhilarating taste in the head. — Paul Grimstad, The New Republic, "Can You Measure How Good a Song Is?," 21 June 2018 Jon is confused by his first taste of Bran’s greensight. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 1: Everything You Need to Know," 15 Apr. 2019 The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter got its first taste of combat, dropping bombs on the Taliban in Afghanistan. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "F-35 Fighter Sees Combat For First Time," 27 Sep. 2018 Mullins, who was promoted from Bowie after batting .313 with an .875 OPS and 23 extra-base hits in 49 games, started slowly in his first taste of the International League. — Jon Meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles notes: Cedric Mullins 'starting to show himself well' at Norfolk; Joey Rikaard earns another call-up," 4 July 2018 The series will get a new look this year as first-year St. X head coach Kevin Wallace will get his first taste of the rivalry. — Louisville Courier Journal, The Courier-Journal, "The four biggest high school football rivalries in Louisville," 19 June 2018 But this is just a taste of all the shenanigans that went down. — Allie Gemmill, Teen Vogue, ""On My Block" Stars Play Teen Vogue's "I Dare You"," 5 Apr. 2019 But that's just a small taste of the thousands of My PS4 Life videos that have been shared online with the handy #MyPS4Life hashtag. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Sony inadvertently leaks player counts for PS4 titles," 17 Dec. 2018 For some parts of the country, this could be a taste of a frigid season ahead. — Cierra Williams, Country Living, "The Weather Channel Predicts a Brutal Winter for Most of the Country," 16 Nov. 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.

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Last Updated

16 May 2019

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Time Traveler for taste

The first known use of taste was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for taste

taste

verb

English Language Learners Definition of taste

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

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

: 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

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

taste

verb

\ ˈtāst

tasted; tasting

Kids Definition of taste

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 : experience entry 2 She has the opportunity to taste big city life.

taste

noun

Kids Definition of taste (Entry 2 of 2)

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

taste

verb

\ ˈtāst

tasted; tasting

Medical Definition of taste

(Entry 1 of 2)

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 (Entry 2 of 2)

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