taste

American  

[teyst] / teɪst /

verb (used with object)

tasted, tasting

1. to try or test the flavor or quality of (something) by taking some into the mouth.

   to taste food.

   Synonyms:

   savor

2. to eat or drink a little of.

   She barely tasted her dinner.

3. to eat or drink (often used in negative constructions).

   He hadn't tasted food for three days.

4. to perceive or distinguish the flavor of.

   to taste the wine in a sauce.

5. to have or get experience, especially a slight experience.

   these young men who had only begun to taste life.

6. to perceive in any way.

7. Archaic. to enjoy or appreciate.

8. Obsolete.

   1. to examine by touch; feel.

   2. to test or try.

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verb (used without object)

tasted, tasting

1. to try the flavor or quality of something.

2. to eat or drink a little (usually followed byof ).

   She tasted of the cake.

3. to perceive or distinguish the flavor of anything.

4. to have experience of something, however limited or slight.

5. to have a particular flavor (often followed byof ).

   The coffee tastes bitter. The bread tastes of mold.

6. to smack or savor (usually followed byof ).

   The story tastes of treason.

noun

1. the act of tasting food or drink.

2. the sense by which the flavor or savor of things is perceived when they are brought into contact with the tongue.

3. the sensation or quality as perceived by this sense; flavor.

4. a small quantity tasted; a morsel, bit, or sip.

5. a relish, liking, or partiality for something.

   a taste for music.

   Synonyms:

   predisposition, appreciation, disposition, fondness

   Antonyms:

   antipathy

6. the sense of what is fitting, harmonious, or beautiful; the perception and enjoyment of what constitutes excellence in the fine arts, literature, fashion, etc.

   Synonyms:

   judgment, perception, discernment

7. the sense of what is seemly, polite, tactful, etc., to say or do in a given social situation.

8. one's personal attitude or reaction toward an aesthetic phenomenon or social situation, regarded as either good or bad.

9. the ideas of aesthetic excellence or of aesthetically valid forms prevailing in a culture or personal to an individual.

   a sample of Victorian taste; I consulted only my own taste in decorating this room.

10. the formal idiom preferred by a certain artist or culture; style; manner.

    a façade in the Baroque taste.

11. a slight experience or a sample of something.

    a taste of adventure.

12. a feeling or sensation resulting from an experience.

    a compromise that left a bad taste in her mouth.

13. Obsolete. test or trial.

idioms

1. taste blood. blood.

2. to one's taste, agreeable or pleasing to one.

   He couldn't find any ties that were completely to his taste.

taste British  

/ teɪst /

noun

1. the sense by which the qualities and flavour of a substance are distinguished by the taste buds

2. the sensation experienced by means of the taste buds

3. the act of tasting

4. a small amount eaten, drunk, or tried on the tongue

5. a brief experience of something

   a taste of the whip

6. a preference or liking for something; inclination

   to have a taste for danger

7. the ability to make discerning judgments about aesthetic, artistic, and intellectual matters; discrimination

   to have taste

8. judgment of aesthetic or social matters according to a generally accepted standard

   bad taste

9. discretion; delicacy

   that remark lacks taste

10. obsolete the act of testing

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verb

1. to distinguish the taste of (a substance) by means of the taste buds

2. (usually tr) to take a small amount of (a food, liquid, etc) into the mouth, esp in order to test the quality

   to taste the wine

3. (often foll by of) to have a specific flavour or taste

   the tea tastes of soap

   this apple tastes sour

4. to have an experience of (something)

   to taste success

5. (tr) an archaic word for enjoy

6. obsolete (tr) to test by touching

taste More Idioms  

1. see acquired taste; dose (taste) of one's own medicine; leave a bad taste in one's mouth; no accounting for tastes; poor taste.

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Usage

What is a basic definition of taste? Taste is the human sense that we use to experience the flavors of things we eat and drink. Taste is the flavor of something, and to taste something means to eat or drink a small amount of it. Taste has many other senses as a verb and a noun. Taste is one of the five basic senses, along with sight, hearing, smell, and touch. Our senses are how we perceive stimuli from within or without the body.

• Real-life examples: Humans use their mouth, tongue, and taste buds to experience the flavor or sensations of different foods and drinks. Animals have a sense of taste as well, although most of them have different taste buds than humans so foods will have different flavors to them.
• Used in a sentence: When Isiah was sick he lost his sense of taste and his mother’s soup no longer tasted good to him.

The unique sensation or flavor that a food, drink, or other thing causes is called its taste. Something that has a good taste is said to be tasty.

• Real-life examples: Most fruits have a sweet taste. A lot of people do not like the taste of fish. Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream all have different tastes.
• Used in a sentence: I know cauliflower is good for me, but I just don’t like the taste of it.

Taste is used to mean to put a small amount of something into your mouth to determine what kind of sensation it causes. This way, we can tell “what it tastes like.”

• Real-life examples: Parents everywhere struggle to get children to even taste their vegetables. You might cautiously taste a piece of unfamiliar food. A chef may taste a small spoonful of their cooking to see if it needs more spices.
• Used in a sentence: The puppy tasted only a small bite of the new dog food before walking away in disgust.

Related Words

Taste, flavor, savor refer to a quality that is perceived when a substance is placed upon the tongue. Taste is the general word: the taste of roast beef. Flavor is a characteristic taste, usually of a pleasing kind, and as of some ingredient put into the food: lemon flavor. Savor, much less common than taste or flavor, implies pleasing scent as well as taste or flavor, and connotes enjoyment in tasting: The sauce has an excellent savor.

Other Word Forms

• pretaste noun
• retaste verb
• tastable adjective
• tasteable adjective
• untastable adjective
• untasteable adjective
• untasted adjective
• untasting adjective

Etymology

Origin of taste

First recorded in 1250–1300; (verb) Middle English tasten “to touch, taste,” from Old French taster “to touch, explore by touching” ( Middle French: “to touch, taste”); cognate with Italian tastare, Provençal, Old Spanish tastar, of uncertain origin; (noun) Middle English tast “sense of touch, a trying, tasting,” from Old French, derivative of taster

Explanation

Taste is the ability to tell the difference between flavors in your mouth. It's your sense of taste that tells you if what you're eating is salty, sweet, or sour. The verb taste means to perceive with your sense of taste ("I tasted kiwi for the first time") or to have a certain flavor ("the cake tastes of cinnamon and nutmeg"). The noun taste has a few different meanings. It's sensing flavors on your tongue, but it's also having a preference for something or a sense of discernment: "She has such good taste. Her clothes are always perfect." If you take a small sample of food, that's also a taste, as is a quick experience: "I only had a taste of what living in Paris would be like." Taste comes from the Old French taster, "to feel."

Example Sentences

Madonna also unveiled the first taste via a 60-second video for the opening track, I Feel So Free.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Sergej Epp got his taste of this phenomenon in February.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Ajinomoto, which means “essence of flavor”, built its food empire on the discovery of umami and commercialized the so-called fifth taste in its purest form as monosodium glutamate, a “flavor bomb” used by cooks worldwide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Could simply changing what people expect to taste alter how much they enjoy sweet drinks?

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

“And they think they actually taste good. So vain.”

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• appetite
• desire
• fondness
• heart
• palate
• penchant
• type
• understanding