What does "savory" mean?
A savory snack.
Savory
/ˈseɪ.və.ɹi/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A savory snack.
- Grammar: savory is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: agreeable, ambrosia, ambrosial, appetizer.
- Useful contrasts: bland, blander, blandest.
- Usage evidence: Italian wedding soup is a savory broth with green vegetables and little meatballs. Sometimes it also contains a variety of small pasta.
How to use "savory"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "savory" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "savory" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "savory" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "savory" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "savory" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "agreeable" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "savory", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A savory snack. US
"On Friday the pastry chef Pichet Ong will open his own cafe, with sweets and savories served at tables and a counter."
- 2 Any of several Mediterranean herbs, of the genus Satureja, grown as culinary flavourings. US, countable, uncountable
"There are some who advise taking the noxious herb savory; in my judgment it is poison."
- 3 an aromatic or spicy dish served at the end of dinner or as an hors d'oeuvre wordnet
- 4 The leaves of these plants used as a flavouring. US, countable, uncountable
- 5 either of two aromatic herbs of the mint family wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 dwarf aromatic shrub of Mediterranean regions wordnet
- 7 any of several aromatic herbs or subshrubs of the genus Satureja having spikes of flowers attractive to bees wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Tasty, attractive to the palate. US
"The fine restaurant presented an array of savory dishes; each was delicious."
- 2 Either salty or spicy, but not sweet. US
"The mushrooms, meat, bread, rice, peanuts and potatoes were all good savory foods."
- 3 Umami. US
"The savory rabbit soup contrasted well with the sweet cucumber sandwiches with jam."
- 4 Morally or ethically acceptable. US, figuratively
"Readers are to be warned that quotations in this chapter contain some not so savory language."
Adjective
- 1 having a pleasant taste wordnet
- 2 morally wholesome or acceptable wordnet
- 3 having an agreeably pungent taste wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"Italian wedding soup is a savory broth with green vegetables and little meatballs. Sometimes it also contains a variety of small pasta."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "savory"?
Common synonyms include: agreeable, ambrosia, ambrosial, appetizer, appetizer, appetizing.
How do you use "savory" in a sentence?
Italian wedding soup is a savory broth with green vegetables and little meatballs. Sometimes it also contains a variety of small pasta.
How do you pronounce "savory"?
Pronounced /ˈseɪ.və.ɹi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From the Middle English savory, savourie, from Old French savouré, from Old French savourer, from Late Latin sapōrāre, from Latin sapor (“taste, flavour”), from sapiō, sapere (“taste of, have a flavour of”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English saverey, possibly from Old English sæþerie, from Latin satureia, influenced by or via Old French savereie.