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
-
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
-
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
-
self-relishnoun
-
relishableadjective
-
unrelishableadjective
-
unrelishedadjective
-
unrelishingadjective
-
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:
Gary O'Neil has a really tough gig at Portman Road but it is one he will relish.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Then, she says with special relish, there’s Orge, pronounced or-gay.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
Farmers grow passion fruit, pomegranates and tangerines, and islanders relish a fiery shochu liquor made with brown sugar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Nadira Goffe makes the case for a relish comeback.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Twenty minutes later, when I yield, she doesn’t bother to relish the victory.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
She relishes the tedious sausage-making of statecraft, the kind of stuff that makes you and me bleed from our ears.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
He relishes the fast and funny dialogue, flinging around fancy words that don’t mean a thing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Broca relishes his ability to make whatever decisions he wants on his own, often from his sun-drenched Sausalito, Calif., living room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 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
Going to Nebraska would also mean extending their time with Volpe by one week, a prospect the cast relishes.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Conceived as a vehicle for several Brat Pack actors of the time including Charlie Sheen and Kiefer Sutherland, the film nonetheless belonged to Curry, who relished every line of villainy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Erin from Lisburn also relished the challenge of foreign opposition.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Graham relished his role in the center of the action.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
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
I had relished so many dreams of how sweet my sixteenth year would be, and now it had arrived, but I was here in this place.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
"Leeds are just a much more rounded team. Their fans must be relishing this game."
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
That is one reason why the prime minister's aides are relishing the new parliamentary term, when news stories come along at a faster rate and so are less likely to linger in the headlines.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
England left-back Nico O'Reilly is relishing the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to face Lionel Messi in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against Argentina.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 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
He took his sweet time walking the cart back into the store, relishing the brief moment spent outside before returning to the air-conditioned cold and slight smell of rotting meat and spoiled vegetables of Floyd’s.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
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