savoury

American  

[sey-vuh-ree] / ˈseɪ və ri /

adjective

more savoury, savourier, most savoury, savouriest,

plural

savouries

1. savory.

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savoury British  

/ ˈseɪvərɪ /

adjective

1. attractive to the sense of taste or smell

2. salty or spicy; not sweet

   a savoury dish

3. pleasant

4. respectable

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noun

1. a savoury dish served as an hors d'oeuvre or dessert

Other Word Forms

• savourily adverb
• savouriness noun

Etymology

Origin of savoury

C13 savure, from Old French savouré, from savourer to _savour

Example Sentences

Growing up in the Philippines, Sunga confesses her household was a "very savoury one" with desserts limited to sticky rice and fruit.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Her mother, who only went to primary school, sells fatayas and nems -- savoury pocket pastries and spring rolls -- outside the family's compound where their extended family lives.

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

This step is crucial for developing the tea's signature "umami" flavour - a savoury taste that complements its natural sweetness.

From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025

As a child, on days when rice was scarce, he would forage with his family for snails in the paddy fields, which would be cooked in a savoury tamarind sauce.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025

I remember the burnt-sugar sweet, the sharp savoury that followed.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier