Synonyms

flavor

American

[fley-ver] / ˈfleɪ vər /

especially British, flavour

noun

taste, especially the distinctive taste of something as it is experienced in the mouth.
a substance or extract that provides a particular taste; flavoring.

Synonyms:

seasoning
the characteristic quality of a thing.

He captured the flavor of the experience in his book.

Synonyms:

spirit, essence
a particular quality noticeable in a thing.

language with a strong nautical flavor.
Physics. any of the six labels given to the distinct kinds of quark: up, down, strange, charm, bottom, and top.
Archaic. smell, odor, or aroma.

verb (used with object)

to give flavor to (something).

flavor Scientific

/ flā′vər /

Any of six classifications of quark varieties, distinguished by mass and electric charge. The flavors have the names up, down, strange, charm, top, and bottom. Protons in atomic nuclei are composed of two up quarks and one down quark, while neutrons consist of one up quark and two down quarks. The flavor of a quark may be changed in interactions involving the weak force.

Related Words

See taste.

Other Word Forms

deflavor verb (used with object)
flavorless adjective
overflavor verb
preflavor noun
unflavored adjective
well-flavored adjective

Etymology

Origin of flavor

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French fla(o)ur, from unattested Late Latin flātor “stench, breath,” alteration of Latin flātus a “blowing, breathing,” ( flatus ), perhaps with -or of fētor fetor

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.

Quick to cook and big on flavor, these Korean tacos from chef Peter Cho are an easy crowd pleaser.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

But those figures fail to communicate the raw flavor of the budget cuts or how they’re described in the 92-page document.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The star of this recipe is firm green tomatoes — crisp, tart and deliciously acidic in flavor.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

While potassium salt has a similar flavor, it can develop a slightly bitter taste when heated.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

The tears that fell down Maya-Jade’s already tearstained face were a different flavor from the previous ones.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023