redolent
Americanadjective
-
having a pleasant odor; fragrant.
- Synonyms:
- odoriferous, aromatic, odorous
-
odorous or smelling (usually followed byof ).
redolent of garlic.
-
suggestive; reminiscent (usually followed byof ).
verse redolent of Shakespeare.
adjective
-
having a pleasant smell; fragrant
-
(postpositive; foll by of or with) having the odour or smell (of); scented (with)
a room redolent of country flowers
-
(postpositive; foll by of or with) reminiscent or suggestive (of)
a picture redolent of the 18th century
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of redolent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin redolent-, stem of redolēns, present participle of redolēre “to emit odor,” equivalent to red- red- ( def. ) + ol(ēre) “to smell” (akin to odor ( def. ) )
Explanation
When something is redolent of something, it makes you think of that thing by making a pretty strong impression on you. He had a shifty eye redolent of years of lying and petty crime. People used to use redolent of something with a strong, distinctive odor. Now, think of it as "stinks of" — but in a fancy way. If you're touring an old castle, you might say that the worn carpet and handsome woodwork are redolent of the place's former glory, though otherwise it's a dump.
Vocabulary lists containing redolent
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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The Great Gatsby
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The Nose Knows: Olfactory Vocabulary
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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.
The ceremony included live performances from 2024 winner Redolent and a set from KT Tunstall to close the night.
From BBC • Nov. 6, 2025
Electronic-indie band Redolent have won the 2024 Scottish Album of the Year award for their debut album Dinny Greet.
From BBC • Oct. 24, 2024
Redolent of cow intestines, it tasted even worse than it looked and everyone sheepishly sent back their andouillette and ordered omelets.
From Washington Post • Oct. 8, 2021
Redolent of tattoos and graffiti, these works bring the fuel-efficient unity posed by the Native American works in this show squarely into the present.
From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2011
Redolent of all that is rural and sweet, is the idea of SPINNER, surrounded by a bevy of his "female Treasury clerks," reclining upon a shady rock just over the Great Falls.
From Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 15, July 9, 1870 by Various
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.
