relish
Americannoun
-
relishes
plural
-
liking or enjoyment of the taste of something.
-
pleasurable appreciation of anything; liking.
He has no relish for obscene jokes.
- Synonyms:
- preference, predilection, partiality, inclination, zest, gusto
-
Cooking.
-
something savory or appetizing added to a meal, as pickles or olives.
-
a sweet pickle made of various vegetables, usually chopped or minced.
-
an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre.
-
-
a pleasing or appetizing flavor.
-
a pleasing or enjoyable quality.
-
a taste or flavor.
- Synonyms:
- savor
-
a smack, trace, or touch of something.
verb (used with object)
-
relishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
relished,
past participle, past
-
relishing
present participle
-
to take pleasure in; like; enjoy.
I don't relish the long drive home.
- Synonyms:
- appreciate
-
to make pleasing to the taste.
-
to like the taste of.
verb (used without object)
-
relishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
relished,
past participle, past
-
relishing
present participle
-
to have taste or flavor.
-
to be agreeable.
verb
-
to savour or enjoy (an experience) to the full
-
to anticipate eagerly; look forward to
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to enjoy the taste or flavour of (food, etc); savour
-
to give appetizing taste or flavour to (food), by or as if by the addition of pickles or spices
noun
-
liking or enjoyment, as of something eaten or experienced (esp in the phrase with relish )
-
pleasurable anticipation
he didn't have much relish for the idea
-
an appetizing or spicy food added to a main dish to enhance its flavour
-
an appetizing taste or flavour
-
a zestful trace or touch
there was a certain relish in all his writing
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music (in English lute, viol, and keyboard music of the 16th and 17th centuries) a trilling ornament, used esp at cadences
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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self-relishnoun
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relishableadjective
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unrelishableadjective
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unrelishedadjective
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unrelishingadjective
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relishinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
relishsimple
-
relishessimple
-
have relishedperfect
-
has relishedperfect
-
am relishingprogressive
-
are relishingprogressive
-
is relishingprogressive
-
have been relishingperfect progressive
-
has been relishingperfect progressive
Past
-
relishedsimple
-
had relishedperfect
-
was relishingprogressive
-
were relishingprogressive
-
had been relishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of relish
First recorded in 1520–30; alteration of Middle English reles “aftertaste, scent,” from Old French, variant of relais “remainder, that left behind”; see release
Explanation
Relish isn't just a hotdog topping. The verb relish means to enjoy something immensely. You may relish eating the relish on your hotdog, or you may relish taking an afternoon nap. The word relish has been around since the 16th century and comes to us from the French, who are pretty good at indulging and savoring. When at a dinner party, win points with your host by sighing happily after each bite to show just how much you relish the meal. Relish is also a kind of spicy or savory condiment, the stuff you slather on hotdogs or hamburgers. So if you're fickle when it comes to pickles, you might ask them to hold the relish.
Vocabulary lists containing relish
The Giver
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Freak the Mighty
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"Of Mice and Men"
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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.
See Examples For:
The Sky Blues have shown real ambition in the summer and will, along with other newcomers Ipswich Town and Hull City, relish making a nonsense of naysayer predictions such as this one.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Nadira Goffe makes the case for a relish comeback.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
A few mountains away from Breckenridge, in Aspen Snowmass, a ski-in/ski-out operation called the Hot Dogger recently started serving its namesake item with toppings like furkake, nori and wasabi relish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
He appears to relish being its public face.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
She finished off the last cake, licking her fingers with relish, then set the tray outside the door and rang for a maid.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
He relishes the fast and funny dialogue, flinging around fancy words that don’t mean a thing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
At 93, the "Downtown" legend still relishes the connection between audience and performer, and the humanity in delivering a vocal -- two things AI songs might eliminate.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
As an artist, Sattouf relishes dark absurdity; as a character, Riad is irresistible even when he’s prickly and judgmental, which is often.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2026
"Yes, pretty dubious. Most of the things I do in this show are pretty dubious," he says with a flourish, underlining just how much he relishes this role.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
Lourdes relishes winter most of all—the cold scraping sounds on sidewalks and windshields, the ritual of scarves and gloves, hats and zip-in coat linings.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
And Neill relished that ability, returning time and again to characters whose unpredictability mirrored life’s, creating an oeuvre that is both grotesque and supremely human.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Leading the Cincinnati Symphony, conductor Kevin Miller relished the sweeping, Disneyesque optimism of the score.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
He revealed to the podcast hosts that he has relished in the opportunity to build a true sanctuary for his family, steadily transforming the rural, rustic property into something he can be proud of.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Bass, they note, is a more cautious political figure than Pratt, a brash online influencer who relished playing the role of villain on MTV’s “The Hills.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
“To make a trial of their wits and an ordeal of their judgment,” he said as if he relished confusion itself.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
His exuberant on-pitch persona, relishing confrontation and celebrating tries with rehearsed routines, has attracted attention and a legion of young fans.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
As the picture rolls along, Garcia shows a more assertive side, relishing her character’s emergence from her shell.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Although he was furious about the decision that led to Celtic's win at Motherwell, McInnes was bullish and is relishing the position his side find themselves in.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
Not long after, adults will follow suit and find themselves relishing the activities they once forbade their children from.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026
I can almost see him slowly uncoiling the whip at his side, relishing the drama and anxiety of the crowd.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
