savor
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
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to have savor, taste, or odor.
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to exhibit the peculiar characteristics; smack (often followed byof ).
His business practices savor of greed.
verb (used with object)
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to give a savor to; season; flavor.
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to perceive by taste or smell, especially with relish.
to savor the garden's odors.
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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
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savorernoun
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outsavorverb (used with object)
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savorlessadjective
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savorousadjective
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unsavoredadjective
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savoringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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savorsimple
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savorssimple
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have savoredperfect
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has savoredperfect
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am savoringprogressive
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are savoringprogressive
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is savoringprogressive
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have been savoringperfect progressive
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has been savoringperfect progressive
Past
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savoredsimple
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had savoredperfect
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was savoringprogressive
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were savoringprogressive
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had been savoringperfect progressive
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.
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:
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
I savor a deep breath as I walk the gentle slope to the gates of the Park.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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
She savors the in-depth details of policymaking, particularly navigating and fine-tuning specifics with the various groups that will be affected.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2024
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
She is rich in pauses, which she savors in her mouth.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
Trout savored every moment with friends and family, including his two sons, in the festivities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 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
After all, many of us have savored it before we’ve even come out of the womb.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2026
Meggie savored the name like an exotic fruit.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
I dipped in and out, savoring scenes, reflecting on them, occasionally shedding a tear.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
This doesn’t necessarily mean that Tehran will soon be savoring a tasty TACO-fest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
As I look back on my fondest memories savoring raita, I’m reminded less of its nutritional benefits and more of its taste.
From Salon ● Mar. 28, 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
He could not stop until his mouth became so dry that the bread balled on his tongue; he held it there, savoring the taste.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
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.
