Meaning & use
savours
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“savours” is a form of “savour”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
to enjoy an experience, taste, or feeling slowly and completely, so that you appreciate it as much as possible
Grammar: Takes an object: savour the moment, savour a victory. Often used in the phrase 'savour every moment'.
Patterns
- savour something
- savour the moment
- savour every bite
She savoured the delicious chocolate cake, eating it slowly.
He wanted to savour his victory after years of hard work.
They savoured the quiet evening together, knowing it would be their last for a while.
verbintransitiveformal
to have a particular taste or quality, especially a pleasant one
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'of': The soup savours of garlic.
Patterns
- savour of something
The wine savours of oak and berries.
Her cooking savours of fresh herbs and spices.
Word forms
| third person singular | savours |
|---|---|
| past tense | savoured |
| past participle | savoured |
| -ing form | savouring |
Common combinations
- savour the moment
- Take a deep breath and savour the moment.
- savour a victory
- The team savoured their victory for days.
- savour every bite
- The meal was so good that we savoured every bite.
- savour the flavour
- Let the chocolate melt in your mouth to savour the flavour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- enjoy
- Enjoy is more general and can be used for any pleasant activity; savour suggests doing it slowly and with full attention.
- relish
- Relish is similar but often implies eager enjoyment, while savour emphasizes slow appreciation.
- appreciate
- Appreciate can mean to recognize the value of something, but savour is more about the sensory or emotional pleasure.
Opposites
Word family
- savoury adjective
- tasting salty or spicy rather than sweet
- savour noun
- a distinctive taste or flavour (British spelling)
Commonly confused: savours or savor?
savours vs savor
Savor is the American spelling of the same word. Use 'savours' in British English and 'savors' in American English.
Practice
Fill in the blank: She wanted to ___ every moment of her graduation day.
Choose one answer.
After 'to' we need the base form 'savour'. 'Savours' is third person singular, 'savoured' is past tense, and 'savouring' is the -ing form, none of which fit after 'to'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “savours”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.