perfume
Americannoun
-
perfumes
plural
-
a substance, extract, or preparation for diffusing or imparting an agreeable or attractive smell, especially a fluid containing fragrant natural oils extracted from flowers, woods, etc., or similar synthetic oils.
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the scent, odor, or volatile particles emitted by substances that smell agreeable.
- Antonyms:
- stench
verb (used with object)
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perfumes,
present (3rd person singular)
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perfumed,
past participle, past
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perfuming
present participle
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(of substances, flowers, etc.) to impart a pleasant fragrance to.
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to impregnate with a sweet odor; scent.
noun
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a mixture of alcohol and fragrant essential oils extracted from flowers, spices, etc, or made synthetically, used esp to impart a pleasant long-lasting scent to the body, stationery, etc See also cologne toilet water
-
a scent or odour, esp a fragrant one
verb
Synonym Usage
Perfume, aroma, fragrance all refer to agreeable odors. Perfume often indicates a strong, rich smell, natural or manufactured: the perfume of flowers. Fragrance is usually applied to fresh, delicate, and delicious odors, especially from growing things: fragrance of new-mown hay. Aroma is restricted to a somewhat spicy smell: the aroma of coffee.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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perfumesimple
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perfumessimple
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have perfumedperfect
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has perfumedperfect
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am perfumingprogressive
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are perfumingprogressive
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is perfumingprogressive
-
have been perfumingperfect progressive
-
has been perfumingperfect progressive
Past
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perfumedsimple
-
had perfumedperfect
-
was perfumingprogressive
-
were perfumingprogressive
-
had been perfumingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of perfume
First recorded in 1525–35; earlier parfume (noun), from Middle French parfum, noun derivative of parfumer (verb), from obsolete Italian parfumare (modern profumare ). See per-, fume
Explanation
That delicious mid-summer smell in the middle of a rose garden? You can call that its perfume. If you apply scented oil to your neck and wrists before leaving your house every the morning, you know what perfume is. Another kind of perfume is one that doesn't come in a bottle, like the smell of your mom's cinnamon rolls or the salty fragrance of the ocean after a storm. The earliest use of perfume in English specifically meant "the smell of something burning," and the Latin root is smoky as well: fumare means "to smoke" and per means "through."
Vocabulary lists containing perfume
The Nose Knows: Olfactory Vocabulary
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Smell Words
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Unit 16
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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.
See Examples For:
Arnest, a Russian maker of perfume, cosmetics, and household products, also bought the Russian business of U.K. consumer-goods group Unilever in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Yes, they do, for perfume and for investing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
The Willy Chavarria show was air-conditioned, pumped with Xinú perfume and felt expensive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
The powder clings beautifully to potatoes before roasting, the dried dairy helping to encourage browning while the herbs perfume every bite.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
The whole room still smelled like Mama, like coffee and perfume and...It smelled like the way she laughed.
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
That sounds healthy, but investors were spooked by low demand for Hermès’ clothing, watches and perfumes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
There are sections devoted to almost everything: fresh fish brought in that morning from the Gulf, dates from southern Iran, imported electronics, perfumes, household goods, and traditional Bandari clothing.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
The oil perfumes the whole pan with garlic and tomato while adding a subtle richness to the eggs themselves.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
At another wholesale mall, iridescent streamers and gold mirror balls hung from the ceiling of Wen Linpeng's shop selling colourful soap bars, perfumes and make-up products.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
Candles on the window ledges lit his way and he noticed all the different smells . . . strange spices, extinguished fires and burning cedar, sweets, powders, and perfumes.
From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick
Maybe it’s perfumed with orange zest and cinnamon.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
Perhaps the book’s greatest feat is its depiction of the historical moment when the modern overpowered the ancient—a world, now lost, of floridly costumed courtiers, fabled princes, exotic vices and perfumed palaces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
For now, Estrada and Kolding are basking in their perfumed frontyard.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2025
Outside the clinic, in a "Koala Rehab Centre" faintly perfumed by eucalyptus leaves, is a three-year-old recovering from a hysterectomy.
From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2024
A sweet fragrance from the perfumed sails filled the air as the barge pulled into port.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
Its paprika and gentle heat bloom in the oven, perfuming everything around it.
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2026
Off heat, fold in lemon zest — the volatile oils hit the warm crumbs and bloom instantly, perfuming them.
From Salon ● Feb. 24, 2026
Overripe pomegranates bloodied the sidewalk, the fleshy rot of fallen guava perfuming the air, as Jesus Garcia and his skeleton crew surveyed their sleepy block of Santa Ana.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2022
In all of them, comedy is a top note, perfuming the odor of rot underneath.
From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2022
Dona Zaida, once a formidable matriarch who ruled her eight sons by a resolute jealousy, spent long afternoons watching novelas on television and perfuming her thickening wrists.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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