Synonyms

savor

American

[say-ver] / ˈseɪ vər /

especially British, savour

noun

the quality in a substance that affects the sense of taste or of smell.

Synonyms:

fragrance, scent, odor, smack, relish
a particular taste or smell.
distinctive quality or property.
power to excite or interest.
Archaic. repute.

verb (used without object)

to have savor, taste, or odor.
to exhibit the peculiar characteristics; smack (often followed byof ).

His business practices savor of greed.

verb (used with object)

to give a savor to; season; flavor.
to perceive by taste or smell, especially with relish.

to savor the garden's odors.
to give oneself to the enjoyment of.

to savor the best in life.

Spelling

See -or ¹.

Synonym Usage

See taste.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of savor

First recorded in 1175–1225; (noun) Middle English sav(o)ur, from Old French savour, from Latin sapōrem, accusative of sapor “taste,” derivative of sapere “to taste” ( cf. sapient); (verb) Middle English sav(o)uren, from Old French savourer, from Late Latin sapōrāre, derivative of sapor

Explanation

Whether it’s a feeling of joy or a piece of pecan pie — when you savor something, you enjoy it to the fullest. When you savor something, you enjoy it so much that you want to make it last forever. With that in mind, savor carries a connotation of doing something slowly. If you savor that flourless chocolate tart, then you eat it slowly, bit by bit, deliberately picking every last crumb off the plate. The word is often applied to eating, but you can savor any pleasurable experience, whether it’s the winning touchdown or your moment in the spotlight.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing savor

Eat Your Words

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"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury

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"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle

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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:

savor savors savored savoring

Yes, you still may savor the glory of a great player wearing your colors, but there’s a good chance they’ll be packing up shop by the time they’re 25.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

But fans might want to savor this one, because according to Vermont law, highway patrol mandatory retirement age is 57, the age the youngest Broken Lizard member hits this month.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

He determinedly ignores all the house’s faults so he can savor it as his dream residence for the few fleeting years that remain of his life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

Nor do such foods allow consumers to fully savor each ingredient.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026

In the dark, I could savor the words without embarrassment.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Nichols’ genius lies in the individualized textures he savors in characters who are simultaneously types and one-of-a-kind creations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025

Despite his neurological torments, he savors the wonderful things that have happened to him and the career he has enjoyed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025

Deborah drags a finger through the cream cheese frosting and savors the sweet paradise flavor that is celebrity-anointed success.

From Salon ● May 7, 2024

She savors small pleasures, personal connections and casual revelations, with a touch of new-age mysticism.

From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2024

Gogol savors each mouthful, aware that for the next eight months nothing will taste quite the same.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Take a sip: Martinis are savored for their elegant simplicity and refined romanticism.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026

No one needed to be a senator like Graham, who suddenly died over the weekend, and no one savored it more.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

Yet he also savored the moment, and hinted that he might enjoy the adulation of Chiefs fans a bit longer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026

But the location shots are to be savored, and the performances are good, even if the plot isn’t.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026

For me the sensations of exertion and fatigue could be savored.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

In L.A., a dying MTT led a profound performance of Mahler’s death-obsessed Ninth Symphony, not as a farewell but as a shamanistic savoring of every moment of life.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Tehran will soon be savoring a tasty TACO-fest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

“I feel like I’m on a crime vacation,” said John DePetro, a true-crime content creator and Rhode Island native, savoring the desert climate.

From Slate ● Feb. 23, 2026

"When couples face greater stress, savoring can serve as a buffer, helping protect their confidence in their relationship and their mental health," Larsen said.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 14, 2026

Then, savoring the moment, he picked up the book and read the title out loud: “In the Pocket: Johnny Unitas and Me.”

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

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