noun
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a taste that lingers on after eating or drinking
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a lingering impression or sensation
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.
And like many a postmeal digestif, Fiji is a popular dessert choice for its smooth, slightly sweet aftertaste.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025
As written by Claire Dinhut, tonka “has a sweetness to it that resembles grassy, hay-like, fresh vanilla. However, tonka beans also give off a slightly warming and spicy aftertaste of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.”
From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025
I believe there is an aftertaste so you can take that short-term approach.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2024
She said the stench was so bad it felt "stuck in the back of my throat like a bad aftertaste".
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2024
It was tart, with a sweet, honey-like aftertaste.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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.
