What does savoured mean?
Savoured is the past tense and past participle of the British English verb savour. It means to taste or smell something with pleasure and appreciation, especially by taking time to experience it fully. It can also mean to appreciate the qualities of an experience, moment, or achievement. In contemporary usage, the verb often carries a sense of indulgence, attentiveness, or emotional richness: someone savours the flavour of a meal, the atmosphere of a place, or a hard-won success. The related adjective savoury is especially common in British English, where it can describe food that is appetising or morally respectable, although the two words are not direct grammatical forms of one another. The American spelling is 'savored'.
verbPast tense and past participle of savour: to taste or smell something with enjoyment, or to appreciate its qualities.
- To taste or smell something with pleasure and appreciation.
- To enjoy or fully appreciate an experience, quality, or moment.
"She savoured the warm bread and the rich aroma of the coffee."
"He savoured the silence and the cool evening air."
"The dish was simple, but she savoured every bite."
To savour something is to give your full attention to it, making an ordinary experience feel deliberately luxurious.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does savoured come from?
The word comes from the British English form savour, which derives from Old French sabor, meaning taste or flavour, and ultimately from the Latin verb sapere, 'to taste' or 'to have a taste'. The same Latin root is reflected in English words such as sapid, meaning having a pleasant taste, and sapient, meaning wise or discerning. The spelling 'savoured' became standard in British usage, while 'savored' predominates in American English.
Related word forms
How savoured is actually used
The spelling is traditionally British; American English normally uses 'savored.' The word often suggests deliberate, attentive enjoyment rather than merely eating or drinking something.
Easily confused with savoured
Both forms mean the same thing, but 'savored' is the usual American spelling while 'savoured' is standard in British English.