perfume

perfume — noun

IPA/ˈpɜːfjuːm/
KK[pɚfjˈum]IPA/pərˈfjuːm/
  • perfumesingular
  • perfumesplural

1. a scented liquid that people put on their body, especially the neck or wrists, t

1.nounA2
Definition

a scented liquid that people put on their body, especially the neck or wrists, to smell attractive.

Example

Ella dabbed perfume on her wrists before the school concert.

dab perfume on your wrists

A small bottle of perfume rolled out of Leo's gym bag.

a bottle of perfume

Common collocations
  • bottle of perfume
  • wear perfume
  • dab perfume on your wrists
  • strong perfume
  • buy perfume
  • spray perfume
Synonyms
  • fragrance

    more general and often used in shops or advertising for scented products.

  • cologne

    usually a lighter scented product, often marketed to men.

  • scent

    can mean perfume, but more often means the smell itself.

Grammar Patterns

a bottle of perfume

wear perfume

put perfume on your skin

Usage Note

Can be countable when you mean a bottle or a type of product, but often uncountable when you mean the substance in general. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is the product itself, not the smell coming from something.

Common Mistakes

She put perfume in her neck.
She put perfume on her neck.
use 'on' for something placed on the skin.
He bought a perfume and wears it every day.
He bought perfume and wears it every day.
use the uncountable form when speaking generally about the substance.

2. a pleasant smell that comes from something naturally, especially flowers, plants

2.nounB2
Definition

a pleasant smell that comes from something naturally, especially flowers, plants, or fresh food.

Example

The garden's perfume drifted through Mina's open kitchen window.

the perfume of flowers or a garden

After the rain, a fresh perfume rose from the orange trees.

perfume rose from something

Common collocations
  • sweet perfume
  • rose perfume
  • the perfume of flowers
  • perfume drifted through
  • rich perfume
  • fresh perfume
Synonyms
  • fragrance

    slightly more formal and common in product descriptions.

  • scent

    the most general everyday word for a smell, whether light or strong.

  • aroma

    often used for food, coffee, or wine rather than flowers.

Antonyms
  • stench

    a very strong unpleasant smell.

  • odor

    a more neutral word that often suggests a bad smell in everyday use.

Grammar Patterns

the perfume of flowers

a perfume drifted through the room

Usage Note

Usually appears in descriptive writing about flowers, gardens, trees, or food. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 names the smell in the air, not a product you buy and wear.

Common Mistakes

A bad perfume came from the trash can.
A bad smell came from the trash can.
'perfume' in this sense is for a pleasant smell, not an unpleasant one.
The flower gave a perfume smell.
The flower gave off a sweet perfume.
'perfume' already means the smell, so you do not need 'smell' after it.

perfume — verb

IPA/ˈpɜː.fjuːm/
KK[pɚfjˈum]IPA/pɚˈfjuːm/

Word family

  • perfumed
    adjectiveB2
  • perfumer
    nounC1
  • perfumery
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all refer to products that make you smell nice, but they are used in different ways. 'Perfume' usually suggests a richer, stronger scent that people put on the skin in small amounts. 'Cologne' is often lighter and is commonly marketed to men, though the difference is about style more than a strict rule. 'Fragrance' is the broadest and most commercial word, often used on labels, in shops, or for scented products in general. 'Body spray' is usually the lightest and most casual, often sprayed more freely over the body or clothes. Compare: 'She wore perfume to the concert,' 'He splashed on cologne after shaving,' 'This store sells clean floral fragrances,' and 'The teenagers shared a peach body spray after gym class.'

perfume ↗cologne ↗fragrance ↗body spray

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

English 'perfume' came through French from a phrase meaning 'through smoke', based on Latin 'fumus' meaning 'smoke'. The word first referred to sweet smells produced by burning incense or other materials. Later it widened to the scented liquid people wear and to the pleasant smell itself.