fragrant

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Having a pleasant, noticeable smell, often sweet and appealing.

   Grammar: Gradable: you can say more fragrant or most fragrant.

   Patterns

   • fragrant flowers
   • fragrant with something

   The garden was full of fragrant roses.

   She lit a fragrant candle that filled the room with the scent of vanilla.

   The air was fragrant with the smell of freshly cut grass.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Having a pleasant smell that is associated with a particular thing or place.

   Grammar: Often used in descriptive writing about food, drinks, or memories.

   Patterns

   • fragrant with something
   • fragrant aroma

   The kitchen was fragrant with the aroma of baking bread.

   The tea had a delicate, fragrant flavor.

   The memory of that fragrant summer evening stayed with her.

Word forms

Common combinations

fragrant flowers

The vase was filled with fragrant flowers from the garden.

fragrant aroma

The fragrant aroma of coffee woke me up.

fragrant with

The whole house was fragrant with the scent of pine.

sweetly fragrant

The sweetly fragrant honeysuckle climbed the fence.

Synonyms and how they differ

scented

Scented often refers to a product that has had a smell added, while fragrant usually describes a natural or pleasant smell.

aromatic

Aromatic is often used for strong, spicy, or herbal smells, especially in cooking, while fragrant is more general and often sweeter.

perfumed

Perfumed suggests a smell like perfume and can be slightly artificial, whereas fragrant is usually natural and appealing.

Opposites

Word family

fragrance noun

A pleasant, sweet smell.

fragrantly adverb

In a way that has a pleasant smell.

Commonly confused: fragrant or flagrant? fragrant or fragile?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “fragrant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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