Meaning & use
relish
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To enjoy something very much, or to look forward to it with keen pleasure.
Grammar: Takes a noun or -ing form: relish a challenge, relish working here.
Patterns
- relish something
- relish doing something
She relished every minute of her holiday.
He relishes a good argument.
I don't relish the thought of driving through the storm.
noununcountable
Great enjoyment or pleasure in something.
Grammar: Often 'with relish': he ate with relish.
Patterns
- with relish
- take relish in something
He tucked into his dinner with relish.
She told the story with obvious relish.
There was little relish in the task.
nouncountable or uncountable
A cold, tangy sauce of chopped pickled vegetables, eaten with hot dogs or cold meat.
Grammar: Often uncountable: put some relish on the burger.
Patterns
- relish on something
Pickle relish goes well on a hot dog.
She made a spicy tomato relish to serve with the cheese.
Word forms
| third person singular | relishes |
|---|---|
| past tense | relished |
| past participle | relished |
| -ing form | relishing |
| plural | relishes |
Common combinations
- relish the challenge
- The team relishes the challenge of a tough opponent.
- relish the opportunity
- She relished the opportunity to travel.
- with relish
- The children devoured the pizza with relish.
- relish the thought
- I don't relish the thought of waiting in line.
- relish the prospect
- Few would relish the prospect of a long meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- savor
- Savor stresses slow, careful enjoyment, often of taste or a moment, while relish suggests eager pleasure.
- enjoy
- Enjoy is the general everyday word and is milder than relish.
- love
- Love is more casual and does not suggest looking forward in the same way.
- revel in
- Revel in suggests taking joyful, often noisy delight in a situation.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: relish or relinquish?
relish vs relinquish
Relinquish means to give something up, which is nearly the opposite of savoring it.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'relish' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Relish takes a noun or an -ing form directly. A to-infinitive is not used with it, as the options with 'to' or 'for' show.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “relish”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.