aroma
Americannoun
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an odor arising from spices, plants, cooking, etc., especially an agreeable odor; fragrance.
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(of wines and spirits) the odor or bouquet.
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a pervasive characteristic or quality.
noun
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a distinctive usually pleasant smell, esp of spices, wines, and plants
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a subtle pervasive quality or atmosphere
Synonym Usage
See perfume.
Etymology
Origin of aroma
First recorded in 1175–1225; from Latin, from Greek: “spice”; replacing Middle English aromat, from Old French, from Latin arōmat- (stem of arōma )
Explanation
Aroma is the word for a fragrant scent, one that pleases the nose in a way that makes you lick your lips. Unlike its foul-smelling cousin the odor, an aroma smells but never stinks. Want to know what aromas smell like? Brew a fresh pot of coffee, grill some onions, and fry up a few strips of bacon. Aromas make you drool. You can also use the word to describe things that don't literally smell, yet somehow seem to linger smell-like in the air, like the oppressive aroma of a brutal dictatorship.
Vocabulary lists containing aroma
"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury (1950)
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Smell Words
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Words for Cheese Writers
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When the beans arrive in Whalsay, they are a light green colour with a subtle, earthy aroma.
From BBC • May 31, 2026
In another corner, guests try fragrance pairings, scents expertly paired with drinks, letting the aroma and flavors mingle through their senses.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Compounds such as anthocyanins and terpenoids are essential for fruit color, flavor, aroma, and overall nutritional value.
From Science Daily • May 5, 2026
There’s the chewiness of the dough, the warm aroma of melted butter, cinnamon and sugar united in holy matrimony.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
Miss Mortimer opened her mouth to reply, but at that very moment the most mouthwatering aroma Penelope had ever smelled in her life wafted over to their table.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
