Savory — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈsā-və-rē/ sa·vory

Meaning & Definition of Savory

Savory (adjective)

  1. having savor
  2. piquantly pleasant to the mind
  3. morally exemplary, edifying

Savory (noun)

  1. a small serving of food that is spicy or salty but not sweet
  2. the taste sensation that is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides (such as glutamate and aspartate) and has a rich or meaty flavor characteristic of cheese, cooked meat, mushrooms, soy, and ripe tomatoes, umami
  3. either of two aromatic mints:
  4. summer savory
  5. winter savory

Savory (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having a pleasant smell

    "cedar is one of the most savory of all woods"

    similar: ambrosial, aromatic, fragrant, perfumed, redolent, scented, sweet
    related: flowery, fruity, pungent, spicy, odiferous, odored, odoriferous, odorous, clean, fresh, pure
    opposite: fetid, foul, malodorous, noisome, putrid, rancid, rank, reeking, reeky, skunky, smelly, stenchful, stenchy, stinking, stinky, strong
    near: odorless, unscented, fusty, musty, stale, gamy

  2. very pleasing to the sense of taste

    "a savory beef stew that really hit the spot"

    similar: ambrosial, appetizing, dainty, delectable, delicious, delish, flavorful, flavorsome, luscious, lush, mouthwatering, palatable, scrumptious, succulent, tasteful, tasty, toothsome, toothy, yummy
    related: digestible, eatable, edible, delightful, heavenly, pleasing, agreeable, gratifying, pleasant, satisfying, choice, delicate, exquisite, rare
    opposite: distasteful, flat, flavorless, insipid, stale, tasteless, unappetizing, unpalatable, unsavory, yucky
    near: banal, boring, commonplace, tedious, noisome, smelly, stinky, noxious, unwholesome, miserable, wretched, abhorrent, abominable, awful, detestable, disagreeable, disgusting, foul, horrid, nauseating, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, sickening, unpleasant

  3. giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses

    "having to fire someone was not a task that the manager found at all savory"

    similar: agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, good, grateful, gratifying, heavenly, jolly, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, pretty, satisfying, sweet, tasty, welcome
    related: alluring, attractive, desirable, enviable, inviting, relishable, tempting, charming, enchanting, fascinating, calming, comforting, soothing, amusing, diverting, entertaining, recreative, affable, amiable, cheerful, cheery, comfortable, gemütlich, genial, goodly, good-natured, gracious, hospitable, kindly, personable, blissful, felicific, glad, happy, joyous, elating, exhilarating, intoxicating, ecstatic, euphoric, nirvanic, rapturous
    opposite: disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome
    near: abominable, ghastly, god-awful, hellish, horrid, miserable, wretched, bilious, disgusting, distasteful, obnoxious, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revulsive, unsavory, vile, yucky, abhorrent, detestable, hateful, odious, boring, commonplace, dull, flat, insipid, irksome, stale, tedious, displeasing, dissatisfying, depressing, disheartening, dismal, dreary, gloomy, heartbreaking, heartrending, joyless, lachrymose, sad, unhappy, deplorable, doleful, dolorous, lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, regrettable, sorrowful, tragic, aggravating, annoying, exasperating, irritating, peeving, perturbing, vexing, forbidding, hostile, intimidating, angering, enraging, incensing, inflaming, infuriating, maddening, outraging, rankling, riling, distressing, disturbing, upsetting

  4. sharp and pleasantly stimulating to the mind or senses

    "a savory new book on a subject that seemingly had been done to death"

    similar: pert, piquant, poignant, pungent, salty, zesty, zingy
    related: racy, spicy, fiery, gingery, hot, peppery, vinegary, acute, keen, biting, bitter, cutting, mordant, trenchant, animating, energizing, enlightening, exciting, galvanizing, invigorating, piquing, provocative, provoking, ambrosial, appetizing, delectable, delicious, luscious, palatable, scrumptious, toothsome, flavorful, savorous, tasty, absorbing, arresting, engaging, engrossing, enthralling, fascinating, gripping, interesting, intriguing, riveting
    opposite: insipid, zestless
    near: flat, flavorless, savorless, tasteless, arid, banal, barren, boring, colorless, drab, dreary, dry, dull, humdrum, leaden, monotonous, numbing, pedestrian, ponderous, predictable, stale, stodgy, tedious, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, wearying, bland, dilute, thin, watery, weak

Savory (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in spice, herb

    similar: herb, spice, condiment, seasoning, relish, sauce, flavoring

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Savory

The most common words with a similar meaning to Savory:

ambrosial, aromatic, fragrant, perfumed, redolent, scented, sweet, appetizing, dainty, delectable, delicious, delish, flavorful, flavorsome, luscious, lush, mouthwatering, palatable, scrumptious, succulent, tasteful, tasty, toothsome, toothy, yummy, agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, good, grateful, gratifying, heavenly, jolly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Savory

Words with the opposite meaning of Savory:

fetid, foul, malodorous, noisome, putrid, rancid, rank, reeking, reeky, skunky, smelly, stenchful, stenchy, stinking, stinky, strong, distasteful, flat, flavorless, insipid, stale, tasteless, unappetizing, unpalatable, unsavory, yucky, disagreeable, pleasureless, unpleasant, unwelcome

Related Words for Savory

flowery, fruity, spicy, odiferous, odored, odoriferous, odorous, clean, fresh, pure, digestible, eatable, edible, choice, delicate, exquisite, rare, alluring, attractive, desirable, enviable, inviting, relishable, tempting, charming, enchanting, fascinating, calming, comforting, soothing

Near Antonyms of Savory

odorless, unscented, fusty, musty, gamy, banal, boring, commonplace, tedious, noxious, unwholesome, miserable, wretched, abhorrent, abominable, awful, detestable, disgusting, horrid, nauseating, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, sickening, ghastly, god-awful, hellish, bilious, obnoxious

Word Forms of Savory

Inflections: savories, savouries

Derived words: savorily (adverb), savoriness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Savory

Middle English saverey

First known use: 13th century

Words & Phrases Containing Savory

summer savory, winter savory

Frequently Asked Questions about Savory

What does "Savory" mean?

"Savory" means having savor. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: having savor. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Savory"?

Other words for "Savory" include ambrosial, aromatic, fragrant, perfumed, redolent, scented, sweet and appetizing. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Savory" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Savory"?

There are 152 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Savory". Common alternatives include ambrosial, aromatic, fragrant, perfumed, redolent, scented, sweet, appetizing, dainty and delectable.

What is the opposite of "Savory"?

Antonyms of "Savory" include fetid, foul, malodorous, noisome, putrid, rancid, rank and reeking. Near antonyms include odorless, unscented, fusty and musty.

How do you use "Savory" in a sentence?

Examples of "Savory" in a sentence: "cedar is one of the most savory of all woods"; "a savory beef stew that really hit the spot"; "having to fire someone was not a task that the manager found at all savory".

Is "Savory" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Savory" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Savory"?

"Savory" is pronounced /ˈsā-və-rē/ and divided into syllables as sa·vory.

What is the origin of the word "Savory"?

"Savory" comes from Middle English saverey. First known use: 13th century.