savory
savory — adjective
- savorypositive
- more savorycomparative
- most savorysuperlative
1. Used for food that tastes pleasantly salty, spicy, or herby instead of sugary.
Used for food that tastes pleasantly salty, spicy, or herby instead of sugary.
Iris packed a savory mushroom pie for the train ride north.
savory + food noun; contrast with sweet pies
At the fair, Christopher chose a savory crepe with ham and cheese.
Nila prefers savory breakfasts and orders eggs instead of pancakes.
The bakery added a savory spinach roll beside the sweet buns.
- salty
narrower; focuses on salt level and can be negative if there is too much
- spicy
focuses on heat or strong seasoning, not the sweet-versus-non-sweet contrast
- flavourful
broader; can describe any rich taste, including sweet foods
- sweet
having a sugary taste rather than a salty or spicy one
文法句型
savory + noun (pie/snack/sauce)
be + savory
用法筆記
Most often used when the speaker is contrasting a dish with something sweet. Distinguish from sense 2, which praises an appealing smell or flavour more generally.
常見錯誤
2. Making food seem inviting when you smell or taste it, often because the seasonin
Making food seem inviting when you smell or taste it, often because the seasoning feels rich and well balanced.
A savory smell drifted from the soup pot into the hallway.
collocation: savory smell
When Linh opened the oven, a savory wave of garlic filled the room.
The stew looked plain, but its savory aroma made everyone hungry.
Esteban smiled as the savory steam rose from the noodle bowl.
- appetizing
often emphasizes that food looks or smells ready to eat
- flavourful
focuses more on a rich, noticeable taste than on smell
- palatable
more formal and weaker; means acceptable to eat rather than especially inviting
- unappetizing
making food seem unpleasant or unappealing
- bland
lacking strong smell or taste
文法句型
a savory smell/aroma
be + savory
用法筆記
Usually describes a smell, aroma, or general flavour impression rather than the sweet-versus-salty contrast in sense 1. Common with soup, stew, garlic, onions, and roasting meat.
常見錯誤
3. Describing conduct, deals, or people that seem proper and acceptable by ordinary
Describing conduct, deals, or people that seem proper and acceptable by ordinary social standards, often after a negative word.
Rania warned her son that the website did not look savory.
often appears after not
The charity had a savory reputation in the town for decades.
After the fraud case, Valentina avoided the company's less savory partners.
No one thought the deal looked savory after the secret payments came out.
- respectable
more common and slightly broader; often includes social status as well as moral acceptability
- proper
focuses on correct or polite behavior rather than reputation
- decent
everyday word for morally acceptable or fair
文法句型
be (not) savory
look (less) savory
用法筆記
Much more common after not, less, or other negative framing than in plain positive statements. Often used about a person's reputation, a business deal, or the moral tone of a situation.
常見錯誤
savory — noun
1. An aromatic herb in the mint family that cooks use fresh or dried to season bean
An aromatic herb in the mint family that cooks use fresh or dried to season beans, meat, soups, and other savory dishes.
Yuki chopped fresh savory into the bean soup before lunch.
fresh savory used as a seasoning herb
The cook rubbed chicken with dried savory and lemon before roasting it.
A packet of summer savory sat beside the thyme at the market stall.
Nkechi planted winter savory near the kitchen door for easy picking.
文法句型
fresh/dried savory
summer savory
winter savory
用法筆記
Often appears in the variety names summer savory and winter savory. In recipes, the word can refer to the plant itself or to the dried herb used as seasoning.
2. A small salty dish, often served before a meal or as a final course after sweet
A small salty dish, often served before a meal or as a final course after sweet dishes, especially in British-style dining.
After dessert, the waiter brought a cheese savory with mustard.
after-dinner savory as a small course
At the reception, Hao picked a hot savory instead of another cake.
The menu offered two savories before the soup arrived.
During the matinee break, Tamar ordered a mushroom savory with tea.
- appetizer
broader; the usual modern term for food served before a meal
- hors d'oeuvre
more formal and usually used for food before the main meal, not after dessert
- nibble
informal and broader; can mean any small snack
- dessert
a sweet course served after the main meal
文法句型
a savory
serve a savory
after-dinner savory
用法筆記
Mostly British and somewhat old-fashioned. It often appears on menus or in descriptions of formal meals, where a savory is set against cakes, puddings, or other sweet dishes.