noun
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a taste that lingers on after eating or drinking
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a lingering impression or sensation
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of aftertaste
Explanation
The taste that lingers in your mouth after you've eaten something is called an aftertaste. You might complain that the strawberry bubble gum you love has a weird, plastic aftertaste. You might enjoy the first few sips of a new brand of soda, but find yourself disturbed by the flavor that stays behind on your tongue — this is the aftertaste. Some foods and drinks have a bitter or sour aftertaste, which can be enough to ruin the experience of eating or drinking. You can also use aftertaste figuratively, to mean "a general feeling," as in: "That argument with my friend left a bad aftertaste."
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.
WSJLI: And how do events like this month’s Aftertaste, where retailers, restaurant partners, creators and media came to hear speakers about where beverage culture is headed, fit into that?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
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.
