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Word family noun taste distaste tastefulness taster tasting adjective tasteful ≠ tasteless distasteful tasty verb taste adverb tastefully distastefully
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtastetaste1 /teɪst/ ●●● S2 W2 noun 1 food a) [countable, uncountable]TASTE OF FOOD OR DRINK the feeling that is produced by a particular food or drink when you put it in your mouth SYN flavour The medicine had a slightly bitter taste.taste of I don’t really like the taste of meat anymore. b) [uncountable]HB the sense by which you know one food from another Some birds have a highly developed sense of taste. c) have a taste (of something)LITTLE/NOT MUCH if you have a taste of some food or drink, you put a small amount in your mouth to try it You must have a taste of the fruitcake.2 what you like [countable, uncountable]LIKE somebody OR something the kind of things that someone likestaste in He asked about my taste in music.taste for While she was in France she developed a taste for fine wines.3 judgment [uncountable]TASTE IN CLOTHES, MUSIC ETC someone’s judgment when they choose clothes, decorations etchave good/bad etc taste She has such good taste.taste in Some people have really bad taste in clothes.4 what is acceptable/not offensive [uncountable] the quality of being acceptable and not offensive All television companies accept the need to maintain standards of taste and decency.be in bad/poor etc taste (=likely to offend people) She acknowledged her remark had been in bad taste.5 experienceEXPERIENCED [usually singular] a short experience of something that shows you what it is liketaste of Schoolchildren can get a taste of the countryside first-hand. It gave him his first taste of acting for the big screen. The autumn storms gave us a taste of what was to come (=showed what would happen later). 6 feeling [singular]UNPLEASANT the feeling that you have after an experience, especially a bad experience The way he spoke to those children left a nasty taste in my mouth. the bitter taste of failure the sweet taste of victory7 → ... to taste → give somebody a taste of their own medicine at medicine(4)COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: adjectivesdeliciousThe taste was absolutely delicious.a delicious creamy tastenasty/unpleasantSome tablets have a nasty taste.strange/odd/peculiar/funnyThe sweets had a rather peculiar taste.strongThis cheese has quite a strong taste.mildThe taste of the leaves is milder than the root.sweetThe fruits have an excellent sweet taste.bitterThe brandy would not have masked the bitter taste of the poison.sourThe purpose of the lemon’s sour taste may be to stop the fruit being eaten by animals.saltyHe was conscious of the salty taste of his own blood.spicyAdd a little curry powder to give it a spicy taste.creamy/buttery/fruity/nutty etc (=tasting of cream, butter etc)The cookies had a very buttery taste.bland (=not strong or interesting)Some people find the taste of rice too bland.distinctiveHops give beer its distinctive bitter taste.verbshave a sweet/strange etc tasteThe soup had a funny taste.give something a tasteThe spices gave the bread a rather interesting taste. COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘it is sweet taste’ or ‘it is nice taste’. Say it has a sweet taste or it has a nice taste. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: the kind of things that someone likesadjectivessimilar/the sameWe have similar musical tastes.same/similar/differentTheir tastes in movies were very different.expensive/sophisticatedHe was a man of expensive tastes. (=he liked expensive things)simpleHe was a man of simple tastes (=liking simple things)eclectic (=liking a wide variety of different things)My tastes are very eclectic.musical/literary/artistic tasteHis musical tastes changed radically.your personal tasteWhich one you choose is a question of personal taste.public/popular tasteThe shop created a unique style of goods that appealed to the popular taste.an acquired taste (=something that people do not like at first)This kind of tea is an acquired taste, but very refreshing.consumer tastesChanges in consumer tastes result in the expansion of some industries and the contraction of others.verbshave ... tastesJosh and I have the same tastes.have a taste for something (=like something)She certainly has a taste for adventure.get/develop a taste for something (also acquire a taste for something formal) (=to start to like something)At university she developed a taste for performing.share a taste (=have the same taste as someone else)You obviously share her taste in literature.suit/satisfy/appeal to somebody’s tastes (=provide what someone likes)We have music to suit every taste.The magazine caters for all tastes.phrasesbe to somebody’s taste (=be something that someone likes)If her books are not to your taste, there are plenty of books by other writers.be too bright/modern etc for somebody’s tasteThe building was too modern for my taste.something is a matter of taste (=different people have different opinions about what is good or right)Which of the two methods you use is largely a matter of taste.there’s no accounting for taste (=used humorously to say that you do not understand why someone likes something) THESAURUSdescribing the taste of somethingdelicious having a very good tasteThis cake is delicious!a delicious mealdisgusting/revolting having a very bad tasteThe medicine tasted disgusting.They had to eat revolting things, like fish eyes.sweet tasting full of sugarThe oranges were very sweet.tasty especially spoken tasting good and with plenty of flavourShe cooked us a simple but tasty meal.That was really tasty!sour/tart having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does – used especially when this is rather unpleasantThe apples were a little sour.The wine has rather a tart taste, which not everyone will like. tangy having a taste that stings your tongue slightly, like lemon does, in a way that seems goodThe dressing was nice and tangy.bitter having a strong taste which is not sweet and is sometimes rather unpleasant – used for example about black coffee, or chocolate without sugarbitter chocolateThe medicine had rather a bitter taste.Hops give beer its distinctive bitter taste.salty containing a lot of saltDanish salami has a salty flavour.hot/spicy having a burning taste because it contains strong spicesI love hot curries.a spicy tomato saucepiquant /ˈpiːkənt/ formal a little spicy – used especially by people who write about food. This word can sound rather pretentious in everyday conversationcooked vegetables in a piquant sauce mild not having a strong or hot taste – usually used about foods that can sometimes be spicya mild currybland not having an interesting tasteI found the sauce rather bland. Examples from the Corpus
taste• Tastes in fiction vary from person to person.• Can I have a taste of your sundae?• Voice over Hay's booksellers justifiably boast that they cater for all tastes.• No one with any taste would buy a painting like that.• Alvin had had a brief taste of freedom and didn't want to live with his parents again.• One particular strain lives only in the San Francisco Bay Area and gives the sourdough bread from that region its distinctive taste.• The resort caters to people with expensive tastes.• She decided to become an actress after getting her first taste of fame in a local theatre production.• I can't understand why she likes it, but as they say, there's no accounting for taste.• I don't think much of his taste.• It's not necessarily better or worse, it's just a matter of taste.• Smoking can damage your sense of taste.• Computer agents will be able to organize passive viewing to our taste, acting as assemblers for virtual channels.• It believes, with some assistance from professionals, that planning can lead to an environment wholly to its own taste.• We have similar taste in music.• a sour taste• The flour gives a faintly sweet taste to the crust.• Have some water to take away the taste of the medicine.• I never drink beer, I just don't like the taste.• Oscar nominees have traditionally reflected the taste of the public.• The smell, the taste, can bring a moment of contentment as no other food can.taste for• A rafting trip through the Grand Canyon will satisfy your taste for adventure.have good/bad etc taste• If there must be a neighbour, let her have good taste.be in bad/poor etc taste• The Caption Competition, which usually gives me a source of amusement, in the Feb edition was in bad taste.• Your jest is in poor taste.• As long as any advert does not bring the profession into disrepute nor is in bad taste then it is permissible.• Did the producer, perhaps feel it to be in poor taste?gave ... taste• But that first dive gave me the taste.• Last month, its chief executive officer gave a taste of the kind of economic pressure the channel could face.• This gave Joan a taste of freedom, but not yet enough.• The Belfry was cold and wet, which gave us a taste of what was to come at Lytham.tastetaste2 ●●● S2 verb 1 [linking verb]DFCTTASTE OF FOOD OR DRINK to have a particular kind of tastetaste good/delicious/sweet/fresh etc Mmm! This tastes good! The food tasted better than it looked.taste awful/disgusting etc The coffee tasted awful. taste of something This yoghurt tastes of strawberries. It didn’t taste much of ginger.taste like something It tastes just like champagne to me. What does pumpkin taste like (=how would you describe its taste)?sweet-tasting/bitter-tasting etc a sweet-tasting soupGrammarLinking verbsTaste is a linking verb in this meaning. It links the subject of the sentence with an adjective: The soup tastes salty.Fresh strawberries always taste delicious.Using the progressive• The verb taste is not usually used in the progressive. You say: I tasted blood.It tastes sour. ✗Don’t say: I was tasting blood. | It is tasting sour.• You often say someone can taste something when describing what they taste: I could taste blood.• The present participle tasting is used to form adjectives such as sweet-tasting and foul-tasting.2 [transitive]DFTASTE OF FOOD OR DRINK to experience or recognize the taste of food or drink She could taste blood. Can you taste the difference? It was like nothing I’d ever tasted before.3 [transitive]DFLITTLE/NOT MUCH to eat or drink a small amount of something to see what it is like It’s always best to keep tasting the food while you’re cooking it.4 → taste success/freedom/victory etcCOLLOCATIONSadjectivestaste good/nice/delicious/greatThe apples weren’t very big but they tasted good.taste horrible/awful/disgusting/foulThe tea tasted horrible.taste funny/odd/strangeThese fruit drinks taste a bit funny until you get used to them.taste sweet/bitter/sour/saltyHe handed me some black stuff which tasted bitter.adverbstaste strongly of somethingThe water tasted strongly of chlorine.phrasessweet-tasting/strong-tasting etca sweet-tasting drink → See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
taste• The fancier something looked, the better he thought it tasted.• I am successful because I have the ability to make things sound, taste and look good.• I can't taste anything with this cold.• They had tasted Cassowary's sharp dagger of a beak before.• Others decided to taste freedom in other fields of social activity: speculation on the black market, opening businesses etc.• "Go on then, taste it, '' said my grandfather, pouring a little of his home-made wine into my glass.• It's a vegetarian pie, but it tastes just like meat!• I don't like cranberries - they taste kind of sour.• You should taste my Dad's fried chicken, it's delicious.• I ordered chocolate ice cream but this tastes of coffee.• The cake tastes pretty good to me.• This milk tastes strange - do you think it's OK to drink?• Did you taste the salsa?• One notable disappointment in the tasting was the performance of Los Vascos, which had been making great strides in recent years.• Taste your eggs before you put salt on them.could taste• With it he could taste anything she gave him and suffer no harm.• Eley knew he'd as well send her his ear as mail these stale words, although he could taste her still.• She could taste him, round and warm and citrus, deep and cinnamon.• I could taste iron in the air, and naphthalene.• Christina could taste its salty tang and feel it settle stickily on her skin.• Sally could taste the cigarettes and beer and found that that too was exciting.• He bit his lip until he could taste the salt of blood and Samuel flinched with him.Origin taste2 (1200-1300) Old French taster “to touch, test, taste”, from Vulgar Latin taxitare, from Latin taxare; → TAX2 