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Palatable vs Appetizing vs Savory vs Sapid vs Tasty vs Toothsome vs Flavorsome vs Relishing

Palatable, appetizingsavorysapidtastytoothsomeflavorsomerelishing mean agreeable or pleasant to the taste.

Palatable is not emphatic in its implication of pleasantness; therefore it seldom suggests deliciousness and often, on the other hand, implies little more than acceptability.

The term is used frequently of things which are mentally digested.

Appetizing implies a whetting of the appetite; it is applicable to the smell and appearance as well as to the taste of food.

In its extended use the word is applicable to things that stimulate a desire for more or an eagerness to go further.

Savory, also, is applied to foods that have an agreeable odor as well as taste, but it conveys definite implications of piquancy; it is therefore applied to highly seasoned dishes as contrasted with sweet or bland dishes.

In extended use savory may suggest a pleasantly stimulating and agreeable quality, but more often than not it is used in negative construction or with ironic implications.

Sapid is an uncommon and chiefly technical term that primarily applies to a substance able to stimulate taste receptors. In general use it may imply a marked taste or flavor or in extended use one that is distinctly keen or exhilarating.

Tasty implies a marked taste but it suggests in addition an appetizing quality.

Toothsome heightens the implication of agreeableness in palatable and may add the suggestion of tenderness or of daintiness.

Flavorsome usually suggests richness rather than sharpness of taste, and often implies fragrance as well as savor.

Relishing stresses gusto in enjoyment.