tasty
Americanadjective
-
good-tasting; savory.
a tasty canapé.
- Synonyms:
- appetizing, toothsome, delectable, delicious
adjective
-
having a pleasant flavour
-
informal attractive: used chiefly by men when talking of women
-
informal skilful or impressive
she was a bit tasty with a cutlass
-
(of cheddar cheese) having a strong flavour
Related Words
See palatable.
Other Word Forms
- tastily adverb
- tastiness noun
- untastily adverb
- untasty adjective
Etymology
Origin of tasty
Explanation
Things that taste great are tasty. You could describe your favorite foods, from doughnuts to baked ziti, as tasty. While tasty basically means the same thing as yummy or flavorful, it implies a less serious compliment than the word delicious, for example. Potato chips are tasty, and so are grilled cheese sandwiches and soft serve ice cream cones. They're pleasant and appetizing, but not necessarily the most amazing food you've ever eaten. Tasty once had a secondary meaning of "elegant" or "tasteful."
Vocabulary lists containing tasty
List 4
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"A Suitcase of Seaweed" and "Immigrants Today"
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Pizza, Pizza!
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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.
I’m cutting up a bunch of garlic, I’m using a bunch of olive oil, and I’m using a bunch of different seasonings, and whatever happens, happens and in the end, it’ll be tasty.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
This doesn’t necessarily mean that Tehran will soon be savoring a tasty TACO-fest.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
For the most part, they’re branded products manufactured to be convenient, tasty, shelf-stable and difficult to stop eating.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
Counter-claims of a sting operation with illicit filming... it all got a little bit tasty.
From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026
Actually, she could use something tasty as well; they’d eaten katapan for breakfast and drunk barley tea.
From "A Place to Belong" by Cynthia Kadohata
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.
