savor
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
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to have savor, taste, or odor.
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to exhibit the peculiar characteristics; smack (often followed byof ).
His business practices savor of greed.
verb (used with object)
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to give a savor to; season; flavor.
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to perceive by taste or smell, especially with relish.
to savor the garden's odors.
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to give oneself to the enjoyment of.
to savor the best in life.
Spelling
See -or 1.
Synonym Usage
See taste.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of savor
First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English sav(o)ur, from Old French savour, from Latin sapōrem, accusative of sapor “taste,” derivative of sapere “to taste” ( cf. sapient); (verb) Middle English sav(o)uren, from Old French savourer, from Late Latin sapōrāre, derivative of sapor
Explanation
Whether it’s a feeling of joy or a piece of pecan pie — when you savor something, you enjoy it to the fullest. When you savor something, you enjoy it so much that you want to make it last forever. With that in mind, savor carries a connotation of doing something slowly. If you savor that flourless chocolate tart, then you eat it slowly, bit by bit, deliberately picking every last crumb off the plate. The word is often applied to eating, but you can savor any pleasurable experience, whether it’s the winning touchdown or your moment in the spotlight.
Vocabulary lists containing savor
Eat Your Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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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.
As part of the cruise line’s Savor My Catch program, this sustainable outing, anything caught is cleaned and prepared by the ship’s chefs for dinner that night.
From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026
With the American Express Gold Card, you get four-times the amount of points at restaurants, and with the Capital One Savor, you get 3% cash back on entertainment and restaurants.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 31, 2025
Savor the unique experience of shopping for holiday gifts in person with our 2024 Los Angeles gift shop guide.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024
Savor the exquisite tension in the position after 35.
From Washington Times • Jan. 31, 2023
"For goodness gracious!" said Mrs. Savor, "who you got there, Miss Kilburn?"
From Annie Kilburn : a Novel by Howells, William Dean
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.
