Synonyms

savor

American

[sey-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

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"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

Neill seemed to savor the chance to go deeper, to look more closely at our innate capacity for acts both moral and depraved.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026

Before private asset stocks lost their savor this year, StepStone Group was one of the tastiest.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

You can rent bikes, pick up a picnic or savor s’mores by the fire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

The teams could wind up facing each other again in the regional playoffs, but this night was Robinson’s to savor.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2026

As I stroll far out onto the pier, I savor the sweetness of having a corner of New York all to myself.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

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

It summons thundering drums as Lipa savors a blissful connection, belting “How long can it just keep getting better?”

From New York Times ● May 3, 2024

If you’re a boat person who savors the faint scent of diesel, however, you’ll want to book Walter’s Room, a small bedroom and sitting-room in the fog signal building.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2024

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

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Trout savored every moment with friends and family, including his two sons, in the festivities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

I savored the beautiful aroma of fresh eggs bathed in spices.

From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2026

And for a moment, Venezuelans savored a sense of triumph that cut through the turmoil in their homeland.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 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

The first he gulped down; the second, savored.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

I dipped in and out, savoring scenes, reflecting on them, occasionally shedding a tear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

To celebrate, we compiled our top five tomato-filled recipes that are worth savoring this season.

From Salon ● Apr. 6, 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

It seemed like only moments ago I was savoring the idea of a possible Olympic medal, and now my eyes were filled with the tears of failure.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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