appetizing

adjective

ap·​pe·​tiz·​ing ˈa-pə-ˌtī-ziŋ How to pronounce appetizing (audio)
: appealing to the appetite especially in appearance or aroma
also : appealing to one's taste
an appetizing display of merchandise
appetizingly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for appetizing

palatable, appetizing, savory, tasty, toothsome mean agreeable or pleasant especially to the sense of taste.

palatable often applies to something that is found to be merely agreeable.

butterflies that birds find palatable

appetizing suggests a whetting of the appetite and applies to aroma and appearance as well as taste.

appetizing hors d'oeuvres

savory applies to both taste and aroma and suggests piquancy and often spiciness.

dumplings with savory fillings

tasty implies a pronounced taste.

a tart and tasty pie

toothsome stresses the notion of agreeableness and sometimes implies tenderness or daintiness.

an enticing array of toothsome desserts

Examples of appetizing in a Sentence

While the stew may not look very appetizing, it tastes wonderful. that dish looks very appetizing
Recent Examples on the Web The photo on the story by the BBC’s Emily Monaco doesn’t look appetizing — blobs of chocolate-chip cookie dough plopped on a croissant. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Strong-side linebacker Oren Burks is a more appetizing target for Mahomes to target in coverage. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2024 The eggs don’t look appetizing anymore, in fact, you’re repulsed by them. Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024 While there is a lot of cooking in La Cocina, none of the results look very appetizing. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2024 In its 20th year, Galuppi’s is stepping it up as the place to go for a night under the stars, an appetizing meal and a professional-grade musical trip back to the glory days. Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2024 Chief Executive Hock Tan isn’t someone who finds blowing money appetizing. Dan Gallagher, WSJ, 8 Dec. 2023 In a video posted on TikTok, Zoey, a 14-year-old goldendoodle, can be seen refusing her food bowl until a (closed) bottle of ranch dressing is waved over it, upon which the food in the bowl seemingly becomes more appetizing. Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 13 Jan. 2024 Released a few months later, the title track was a more muted acoustic affair, but its arresting, slanted arrangements suggest Greenwood may be pulling the strings more than ever before—a uniquely appetizing prospect for the composer and guitarist’s loyalists. Pitchfork, 8 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'appetizing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of appetizing was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near appetizing

Cite this Entry

“Appetizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appetizing. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

appetizing

adjective
ap·​pe·​tiz·​ing ˈap-ə-ˌtī-ziŋ How to pronounce appetizing (audio)
: appealing to the appetite
appetizingly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on appetizing

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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