Meaning & use
lip-smacking
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Tasting or smelling extremely good; delicious.
Grammar: Used before a noun: a lip-smacking dish. Not usually used after a linking verb.
Patterns
- lip-smacking food
- lip-smacking meal
- lip-smacking good
The restaurant serves lip-smacking barbecue ribs.
She cooked a lip-smacking curry for dinner.
That was a lip-smacking dessert!
adjectivebefore a noun
Making a smacking sound with the lips, often in enjoyment of food.
Grammar: Describes the sound itself: a lip-smacking noise.
Patterns
- lip-smacking noise
- lip-smacking sound
He made a lip-smacking sound as he tasted the soup.
The lip-smacking noises from the next table were distracting.
Common combinations
- lip-smacking good
- The pie was lip-smacking good.
- lip-smacking food
- They serve lip-smacking food at that street stall.
- lip-smacking dish
- This lip-smacking dish is a family favorite.
Synonyms and how they differ
- delicious
- More formal and general; lip-smacking is informal and often suggests a sound or strong enjoyment.
- tasty
- Neutral and common; lip-smacking is more vivid and informal.
Opposites
Practice
Which sentence uses "lip-smacking" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Lip-smacking" is an adjective used before a noun (a lip-smacking meal). It is not used after a linking verb like "was" (option 0), as a verb (option 2), or as an adverb (option 3).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lip-smacking”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.