taste
taste — noun
1. the flavour of food or drink that you notice when you put it in your mouth, or t
the flavour of food or drink that you notice when you put it in your mouth, or the physical sense that lets you recognise different flavours.
The soup had a sweet taste that reminded Yael of her grandmother's cooking.
adjectival modifier before 'taste': a sweet taste
Vinícius noticed a strange metallic taste in his water and stopped drinking.
adjectival modifier: metallic taste
People who lose their sense of taste often struggle to enjoy meals.
This strawberry ice cream has a rich, creamy taste that children love.
The taste of fresh mint in the tea helped calm Lakshmi's upset stomach.
- tastelessness
the state of having no flavour at all
文法句型
have a … taste
sense of taste
taste of something
用法筆記
When used as a countable noun ('a sweet taste', 'a strange taste'), the focus is on a specific flavour experience. As an uncountable noun, it refers to the general sense ('taste is one of the five senses').
常見錯誤
2. the state of finding pleasure in something — a particular food, drink, or activi
the state of finding pleasure in something — a particular food, drink, or activity — especially after gradually getting used to it.
Théo developed a taste for spicy Thai food after his trip to Bangkok.
pattern: develop a taste for [something]
Lakshmi acquired a taste for classical music after attending a concert.
pattern: acquire a taste for [something]
Beatrix never had much taste for outdoor sports like hiking or camping.
Dario's taste for expensive wine started during his years living in France.
Sofia's first single-malt whisky in Edinburgh made her grimace, but it became an acquired taste.
文法句型
have a taste for something
acquire a taste for something
develop a taste for something
用法筆記
Typically appears in the fixed pattern 'a taste for [something]'. The phrase 'acquired taste' refers to something that people usually dislike at first but learn to enjoy over time.
常見錯誤
3. a tiny portion of something edible taken into the mouth in order to judge its qu
a tiny portion of something edible taken into the mouth in order to judge its quality or your reaction to it.
Obi took a small taste of the sauce to check if it needed more salt.
pattern: take a taste of [something]
The shop offered customers a free taste of their new cheese.
collocation: a free taste
Just a taste of the chocolate cake was enough to satisfy Naoko's sweet craving.
Could I have a taste of your lemonade to see if I want one too?
文法句型
a taste of something
have a taste
take a taste
give someone a taste
用法筆記
This sense always refers to a literal small portion of food or drink. Do not confuse with sense 7 (BRIEF EXPERIENCE), which uses the same pattern 'a taste of' but for non-food experiences like freedom or success.
常見錯誤
4. a person's ability to choose things that are good, suitable, or of high quality
a person's ability to choose things that are good, suitable, or of high quality — often used in the phrase 'good taste' or 'bad taste'.
The interior designer has excellent taste and turned the empty room into a warm home.
collocation: have excellent taste
Wearing a brightly patterned shirt to a funeral is considered bad taste.
collocation: bad taste
Jin's taste in clothing is so refined that people often ask where he shops.
A joke about someone's illness can be seen as being in poor taste.
Élise showed great taste by choosing simple wooden furniture instead of plastic pieces.
- discernment
formal; emphasises the ability to make fine, careful judgments
- judgment
broader term; can apply to many areas beyond aesthetics
- tastelessness
the quality of lacking stylistic or social judgment
文法句型
taste in something
have taste in
good taste
poor taste
bad taste
用法筆記
In this sense, 'taste' is always uncountable — never 'a good taste' or 'good tastes'. The phrase 'in good/bad/poor taste' describes whether something is socially or culturally appropriate.
常見錯誤
5. the ability to judge what is beautiful, appropriate, or of high quality in art,
the ability to judge what is beautiful, appropriate, or of high quality in art, fashion, design, music, or behaviour.
Christopher's taste in modern art is widely admired by gallery owners.
pattern: taste in [art form]
The museum director is known for her impeccable taste in contemporary sculpture.
collocation: impeccable taste
A person of taste would never hang plastic flowers next to a painting.
Hui's refined taste in furniture makes her home look like a design magazine.
The critics praised the director's taste in selecting actors for the film.
- discrimination
formal; emphasises the ability to recognise fine distinctions in quality
- refinement
suggests good taste that comes from education, culture, or training
- aesthetic sense
focuses specifically on the appreciation of beauty
- cultivation
implies taste developed through learning and exposure to culture
- vulgarity
the quality of being crude or lacking good taste
- philistinism
formal; hostility or indifference to artistic and cultural values
文法句型
taste in something
good/refined/impeccable taste
用法筆記
Similar to sense 4 but more specifically focused on aesthetic and artistic judgment. This sense is always uncountable and often modified by adjectives like 'refined', 'impeccable', 'exquisite', or 'sophisticated'.
常見錯誤
6. the particular things that a person likes or prefers, such as types of music, bo
the particular things that a person likes or prefers, such as types of music, books, films, clothes, or food.
Christopher's musical tastes range from classical piano to modern jazz.
plural form: musical tastes
Ari and Hui have very different tastes in food, so choosing a restaurant is always hard.
pattern: tastes in [category], plural subject
As she grew older, Beatrix's tastes in literature changed from fantasy to historical fiction.
The app recommends films based on your tastes and past viewing history.
- preferences
more general; can apply to any choice between options, not just aesthetic ones
- likes
informal; often paired with 'dislikes'
- inclinations
more formal; suggests a natural tendency toward certain choices
- dislikes
the things someone does not like
文法句型
tastes in something
someone's tastes
musical/literary/cultural tastes
用法筆記
This sense is most commonly used in the plural ('tastes') to refer to a person's overall set of preferences. The singular 'taste' can also be used ('his taste in music'), but 'tastes' emphasises the range and variety of someone's likes.
常見錯誤
7. a brief encounter with something unfamiliar that gives you a sense of what it fe
a brief encounter with something unfamiliar that gives you a sense of what it feels like to experience it.
After just one week, Jin got a taste of what it is like to run a small business.
collocation: got a taste of
The internship gave Lakshmi a taste of working in a hospital emergency room.
pattern: give someone a taste of [something]
Vinícius had a taste of fame when his photo appeared in the local newspaper.
The short camping trip gave the children a taste of life without electricity.
文法句型
a taste of something
get a taste of
have a taste of
give someone a taste of
用法筆記
This sense extends the food-related idea of 'a taste' (sense 3) to non-food contexts like experiences, emotions, or lifestyles. Unlike sense 3, the object is abstract (a taste of freedom, success, fame, independence).
常見錯誤
taste — verb
1. to deliberately place something edible on your tongue so you can decide what sor
to deliberately place something edible on your tongue so you can decide what sort of flavour it produces.
Théo tasted the soup and added a pinch of salt to improve the flavour.
transitive verb: tasted the soup
Before buying the olive oil, the customer was invited to taste a small sample.
passive: was invited to taste
Yael always tastes the sauce before serving it to her guests.
The chef tasted the curry and decided it needed more coconut milk.
Taste the dipping sauce and tell me if it has enough lime juice.
文法句型
taste + noun
taste something
用法筆記
This sense is an action verb — you deliberately put food in your mouth to check the flavour. Do not confuse with verb sense 2 (HAVE FLAVOUR), which describes the inherent flavour of something and cannot be used in the continuous form.
常見錯誤
2. to produce a specific sensation on your tongue when eaten or drunk — describing
to produce a specific sensation on your tongue when eaten or drunk — describing what sort of flavour food or drink possesses.
This lemonade tastes sour because it has very little sugar.
linking verb + adjective: tastes sour
The chicken tastes like it has been cooked with fresh herbs and garlic.
pattern: tastes like + clause
Dario's homemade bread tastes wonderful when eaten warm with butter.
Although the medicine tasted bitter, Benjamin forced himself to swallow it.
This cheap coffee tastes more like hot water than real coffee.
- flavour of
used as a verb: 'the soup flavours of rosemary' — less common than 'taste of'
- savour of
more formal, often used figuratively ('his comments savour of arrogance')
文法句型
taste + adjective
taste like something
taste of something
taste as if / as though
用法筆記
This is a linking verb (copula), similar to 'be', 'seem', or 'look'. It is followed by an adjective ('tastes delicious'), not an adverb ('tastes deliciously'). It is a stative verb and is rarely used in the continuous form ('is tasting') to describe inherent flavour.
常見錯誤
3. to go through something briefly — often a desirable or significant feeling, situ
to go through something briefly — often a desirable or significant feeling, situation, or stage — and get a sense of what it is like.
After living in Japan for a year, Naoko tasted the freedom of being independent.
abstract object: tasted the freedom of
The young musician finally tasted success when her first song became popular.
collocation: tasted success
Eve tasted defeat for the first time when her team lost the championship.
After years of civil war, the region finally tasted peace.
- experience
more general and neutral; does not imply brevity
- sample
suggests trying a small part of something
- undergo
more formal; often used for difficult or challenging experiences
文法句型
taste + abstract noun
taste success
taste freedom
taste defeat
用法筆記
This figurative sense is more common in literary or formal writing. The objects are almost always abstract nouns like success, freedom, defeat, power, independence, or peace. It often implies that the experience is brief, new, or just enough to give a sense of what something is like.