relish

[rel-ish]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relish ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

liking or enjoyment of the taste of something.

pleasurable appreciation of anything; liking: He has no relish for obscene jokes.

Cookery.

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.

a smack, trace, or touch of something.

verb (used with object)

to take pleasure in; like; enjoy: I don't relish the long drive home.

to make pleasing to the taste.

to like the taste of.

verb (used without object)

to have taste or flavor.

to be agreeable.

Origin of relish

1520–30; alteration of Middle English reles aftertaste, scent < Old French, variant of relais remainder, that left behind; see release

Related formsrel·ish·a·ble, adjectiverel·ish·ing·ly, adverbself-rel·ish, nounun·rel·ish·a·ble, adjectiveun·rel·ished, adjectiveun·rel·ish·ing, adjective

Synonyms for relish

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR relish ON THESAURUS.COM

1, 2. gusto, zest. 2. inclination, partiality, predilection, preference. 3. condiment, appetizer. 6. savor. 8. appreciate.

Antonyms for relish

1, 2. distaste, disfavor.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for relish

gusto, zest, enjoy, savor, prefer, admire, cherish, heart, love, liking, taste, fancy, bias, appetite, flavor, penchant, delectation, propensity, loving, stomach

Examples from the Web for relish

Contemporary Examples of relish

Catherine also seems to relish the danger and violence of her job.
The Feminist Aesthetic of ‘Happy Valley’: A Refusal to Eroticize Violence Against Women
Batya Ungar-Sargon
August 31, 2014
In the early scenes as he studies his own regenerated image in a mirror he concludes with relish: “These are attack eyebrows.”
Doctor Who’s ‘Deep Breath’: The 2,000-Year-Old Time Lord Grows Up
Nico Hines
August 8, 2014
The slaw is vaguely like piccalilli or relish, but has a taste and drippy texture like no other.
The Most American Pit Stop in the U.S.A.
Jane & Michael Stern
July 21, 2014
We relish crime depicted well and expect a level of authenticity in the portrayal.
Are Narcocorrido Mexican Drug Ballads Really That Bad?
Jimmy So
November 24, 2013
Regardless of the outcome, this is not the kind of political fight I relish.
Don’t Listen to Shutdown Predictions
Stuart Stevens
October 1, 2013

Historical Examples of relish

She evidently did not relish his glib talk about the university.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
The men did not relish the idea of quitting the spot; but, after some talk, they came into my plan.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
My mother, who saw that I did not relish the asses' milk, put in a word for me.
Tales And Novels, Volume 9 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
The porter could hardly refrain, from smacking his lips with an air of relish as he said this.
Henry Dunbar
M. E. Braddon
She came running to me with a suggestion for economizing in the manufacture of the relish.
Ruggles of Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for relish

relish

verb (tr)

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 anticipationhe 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 touchthere 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

Derived Formsrelishable, adjective

Word Origin for relish

C16: from earlier reles aftertaste, from Old French: something remaining, from relaisser to leave behind; see release

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for relish

1520s, "taste, flavor," alteration of reles "scent, taste, aftertaste," (c.1300), from Old French relais, reles, "something remaining, that which is left behind," from relaisser "to leave behind" (see release (v.)). Meaning "enjoyment of the taste or flavor of something" is attested from 1640s. Sense of "condiment, that which imparts flavor" is first recorded 1797. The stuff you put on hot dogs is a sweet green pickle relish.

1560s "give flavor to" (implied in relished), from relish (n.). The transferred sense of "to enjoy, take pleasure in" is from 1590s. Related: Relishing.