Meanings
savory1
comparative savorier · superlative savoriest · alternative British usually savoury
- USfigurativelyMorally or ethically acceptable.
Readers are to be warned that quotations in this chapter contain some not so savory language.
1 more example
The ruthless practices of the Ontario Film Censor Board are by now the laughing stock of most of the world. Scenes that contain more flesh or affection than they find savoury are simply hacked out of the film before it is released.
1981 February 14, Alexander Wilson, “The New Right Attacks Childhood Sexuality: A Canadian Perspective”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 29, page 6
plural savories · alternative British usually savoury
- USA savory snack.
On Friday the pastry chef Pichet Ong will open his own cafe, with sweets and savories served at tables and a counter.
2007 April 18, Florence Fabricant, “Off the Menu”, in New York Times
savory2
plural savories · alternative British usually savoury
- UScountableuncountableAny of several Mediterranean herbs, of the genus Satureja, grown as culinary flavourings.
There are some who advise taking the noxious herb savory; in my judgment it is poison.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 208 - UScountableuncountableThe leaves of these plants used as a flavouring.
Savory3
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivehaving a pleasant taste
noundwarf aromatic shrub of Mediterranean regions
nounan aromatic or spicy dish served at the end of dinner or as an hors d'oeuvre
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
savory · adjective, noun
- Proto-Indo-European*sep-
- Proto-Italic*sapjō
- Latinsapiō
- Latinsapōrem
- Old Frenchsavour
- Old Frenchsavouré
- Middle Englishsavourie
- Middle Englishsavory
- Englishsavory
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”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Late Latin
Full word history & related roots →savory · noun
- Latinsatureia
- Old Frenchsavereieinflu.?
- Old Englishsæþerieder.?
- Middle Englishsaverey
- Englishsavory
From Middle English saverey, possibly from Old English sæþerie, from Latin satureia, influenced by or via Old French savereie.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek θύμβρα
- θύμβρα (thúmbra)herb of genus Satureja
Arabic شَهِيّ, مَرِيء
- شَهِيّ (šahiyy)tasty, attractive to the palate
- مَرِيء (marīʔ)tasty, attractive to the palate
- مالحsalty or non-sweet
- نَدْغ (nadḡ)herb of genus Satureja
Bulgarian вкусен, but see солен
- вкусен (vkusen)tasty, attractive to the palate
- but see солен (solen)salty or non-sweet
- пикантен (pikanten)salty or non-sweet
- чу́брица (čúbrica)herb of genus Satureja
Chinese Cantonese 鹹 /咸
- 鹹 /咸 (haam⁴)salty or non-sweet
Chinese Mandarin 香, 好吃
- 香 (xiāng)tasty, attractive to the palate
- 好吃 (hǎochī)tasty, attractive to the palate
- 鮮美 /鲜美 (xiānměi)tasty, attractive to the palate
- 鹹 /咸 (xián)salty or non-sweet
Czech saturejka
- saturejkaherb of genus Satureja
Danish sar
- sarherb of genus Satureja
Dutch smakelijk, hartig
- smakelijktasty, attractive to the palate
- hartigsalty or non-sweet
- bonenkruidherb of genus Satureja
Esperanto bongusta, salgusta
- bongustatasty, attractive to the palate
- salgustasalty or non-sweet
Estonian maitsev
- maitsevtasty, attractive to the palate
Finnish maukas, ruokahalua herättävä
- maukastasty, attractive to the palate
- ruokahalua herättävätasty, attractive to the palate
- suolainensalty or non-sweet
- kynteliherb of genus Satureja
French savoureux, délicieux
- savoureuxtasty, attractive to the palate
- délicieuxtasty, attractive to the palate
- salésalty or non-sweet
- sarrietteherb of genus Satureja
German schmackhaft, köstlich
- schmackhafttasty, attractive to the palate
- köstlichtasty, attractive to the palate
- leckertasty, attractive to the palate
- herzhaftsalty or non-sweet
- pikantsalty or non-sweet
- Bohnenkrautherb of genus Satureja
Greek νόστιμος, αλμυρός
- νόστιμος (nóstimos)tasty, attractive to the palate
- αλμυρός (almyrós)salty or non-sweet
- θρούμπι (throúmpi)herb of genus Satureja
- θρούμπη (throúmpi)herb of genus Satureja
Hebrew ערב, מלוח
- ערב (arév)tasty, attractive to the palate
- מלוח (malúakh)salty or non-sweet
Hindi सलोना
- सलोना (salonā)tasty, attractive to the palate
Hungarian ízes, pikáns
- ízestasty, attractive to the palate
- pikánssalty or non-sweet
- csombordherb of genus Satureja
- borsikafűherb of genus Satureja
Indonesian sedap, gurih
- sedaptasty, attractive to the palate
- gurihsalty or non-sweet
Italian saporito, gustoso
- saporitotasty, attractive to the palate
- gustosotasty, attractive to the palate
- salatosalty or non-sweet
- santoreggiaherb of genus Satureja
Japanese 香ばしい, 美味しい
- 香ばしい (kōbashii)tasty, attractive to the palate
- 美味しい (oishii)tasty, attractive to the palate
- 旨味 (umami)salty or non-sweet
- 塩辛い (shiokarai)salty or non-sweet
- キダチハッカ (kidachihakka)herb of genus Satureja
- セイボリー (seiborī)herb of genus Satureja
Latin sapidus, cunela
- sapidustasty, attractive to the palate
- cunelaherb of genus Satureja
- satureiaherb of genus Satureja
Māori mākarakara, mōkarakara
- mākarakaratasty, attractive to the palate
- mōkarakaratasty, attractive to the palate
Persian مرزه
- مرزه (marze)herb of genus Satureja
Polish smaczny, smakowity
- smacznytasty, attractive to the palate
- smakowitytasty, attractive to the palate
- niesłodkisalty or non-sweet
- pikantnysalty or non-sweet
- wytrawnysalty or non-sweet
- cząberherb of genus Satureja
Portuguese saboroso, apetitoso
- saborosotasty, attractive to the palate
- apetitosotasty, attractive to the palate
- gostosotasty, attractive to the palate
- salgadosalty or non-sweet
- de salsalty or non-sweet
- segurelhaherb of genus Satureja
Romanian savuros, sărat
- savurostasty, attractive to the palate
- săratsalty or non-sweet
- cimbruherb of genus Satureja
Russian аппети́тный, вку́сный
- аппети́тный (appetítnyj)tasty, attractive to the palate
- вку́сный (vkúsnyj)tasty, attractive to the palate
- пика́нтный (pikántnyj)tasty, attractive to the palate
- о́стрый (óstryj)tasty, attractive to the palate
- пря́ный (prjányj)tasty, attractive to the palate
- солёный (soljónyj)salty or non-sweet
- пикантный (pikantnyj)salty or non-sweet
- сатуре́я (saturéja)herb of genus Satureja
- ча́бер (čáber)herb of genus Satureja
Slovak chutný, výrazne ochutený
- chutnýtasty, attractive to the palate
- výrazne ochutenýtasty, attractive to the palate
- slanýsalty or non-sweet
Spanish sabroso, ajedrea
- sabrosotasty, attractive to the palate
- ajedreaherb of genus Satureja
Swedish välsmakande, salt
- välsmakandetasty, attractive to the palate
- saltsalty or non-sweet
- kyndelherb of genus Satureja
Thai รสอูมามิ, อูมามิ
- รสอูมามิtasty, attractive to the palate
- อูมามิ (uu-maa-mí)tasty, attractive to the palate
- รสอูมามิsalty or non-sweet
- อูมามิ (uu-maa-mí)salty or non-sweet
Turkish lezzetli, tuzlu
- lezzetlitasty, attractive to the palate
- tuzlusalty or non-sweet
- zahter – howeverherb of genus Satureja
- like zaatarherb of genus Satureja
Ukrainian чабе́р
- чабе́р (čabér)herb of genus Satureja
Vietnamese ngọt thịt
- ngọt thịtsalty or non-sweet
Welsh sawrus, safri
- sawrustasty, attractive to the palate
- safrisalty or non-sweet
- sewyrllysherb of genus Satureja
- safriherb of genus Satureja
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with savory
All rhymes →Cite this entry
savory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/savory
“savory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/savory. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “savory,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/savory.
Source: savory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.