distaste

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US/(ˌ)dɪsˈteɪst/US, sometimes/ˈdɪs(ˌ)teɪst/

noun

A feeling of dislike, aversion or antipathy.

UncommonScrabble 9

Meanings

noundistaste (usually uncountable, plural distastes)

plural distastes

  1. uncountableusuallyA feeling of dislike, aversion or antipathy.
  2. obsoleteuncountableusuallyAversion of the taste; dislike, as of food or drink; disrelish.

    Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes; and adversity is not without comforts and hopes

    1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Adversity”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC
  3. obsoleteuncountableusuallyDiscomfort; uneasiness.

    Prosperity is not without many fears and distastes, and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.

    1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Adversity”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC
  4. uncountableusuallyAlienation of affection; displeasure; anger.

    On the part of Heav'n / Now alienated, diſtance and diſtaste,

    1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 8–9
verbdistaste (third-person singular simple present distastes, present participle distasting, simple past and past participle distasted)

present singular third person distastes · participle present distasting · participle past distasted · past distasted

  1. obsoletetransitiveTo dislike.

    How may I auoyde / (Although my will diſtaſte what it elected) / The Wife I choſe, there can be no euaſion / To blench from this, and to ſtand firme by honour.

    c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], column 1
    1 more example

    Plato made it a great ſigne of an intemperate and corrupt common-wealth, where Lawyers and Phyſitians did abound, and the Romanes diſtaſted them ſo much, that they were often baniſhed out of theire city, as Pliny and Celſus relate, for 600 yeares not admitted.

    1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 4, member 1, subsection 1, page 296
  2. intransitiveTo be distasteful; to taste bad

    Dangerous conceits are, in their natures, poisons. / Which at the first are scarce found to distaste, […]

    c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]
  3. obsoletetransitiveTo offend; to disgust; to displease.

    He thought it no policy to distaste the English or Irish by a course of reformation, but sought to please them.

    1612, John Davies, Discoverie of the True Causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued
  4. obsoletetransitiveTo deprive of taste or relish; to make unsavory or distasteful.

    And vvhat auayl'd his Anſvver in that Caſe? / VVhich the time then did vtterly diſtaſte, / And look'd vpon him vvith ſo ſterne a Face, / As it his Actions vtterly diſgrac'd: […]

    1630, Michael Drayton, “The Barons Warres. In the Reigne of Edward the Second. The Sixt Canto.”, in Poems: […], London: […] Willi[am] Stansby for Iohn Smethwicke, →OCLC, stanza 81, page 151

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna feeling of intense dislike

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Bulgarian отвраще́ние, неприя́зън
  • отвраще́ние (otvrašténie)feeling of dislike
  • неприя́зън (neprijázăn)feeling of dislike
  • антипа́тия (antipátija)feeling of dislike
  • погну́са (pognúsa)disrelish
  • отвраще́ние (otvrašténie)disrelish
  • неразположе́ние (nerazpoložénie)discomfort, uneasiness
  • озлобле́ние (ozloblénie)displeasure, anger
  • отвратя́ се+ отto dislike
  • отвраща́вам (otvraštávam)to offend, to disgust, to displease
  • отвратя́ (otvratjá)to offend, to disgust, to displease
  • погнуся́вам (pognusjávam)to offend, to disgust, to displease
  • погнуся́ (pognusjá)to offend, to disgust, to displease
  • гнуся́ (gnusjá)to offend, to disgust, to displease
  • гнуся́ (gnusjá)to deprive of taste or relish
Esperanto malŝato
  • malŝatofeeling of dislike
Irish déistin, snamh
  • déistinfeeling of dislike
  • snamhfeeling of dislike
Italian antipatia, avversione
  • antipatiafeeling of dislike
  • avversionefeeling of dislike
  • disgustofeeling of dislike
Māori aniwatanga
  • aniwatangafeeling of dislike
Portuguese aversão
  • aversãofeeling of dislike
Swedish avsmak
  • avsmakfeeling of dislike

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with distaste

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

distaste. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distaste

MLA

“distaste.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distaste. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “distaste,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distaste.

Source: distaste on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.