appetizing

adjective

ap·​pe·​tiz·​ing ˈa-pə-ˌtī-ziŋ 

: appealing to the appetite especially in appearance or aroma

also : appealing to one's taste

an appetizing display of merchandise

appetizingly

ˈa-pə-ˌtī-ziŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• ambrosial
• dainty
• delectable
• delicious
• delish
• flavorful
• flavorsome
• luscious
• lush
• mouthwatering
• palatable
• savory
• savoury
• scrumptious
• succulent
• tasteful
• tasty
• toothsome
• toothy
• yummy

Choose the Right Synonym for appetizing

palatable, appetizing, savory, tasty, toothsome mean agreeable or pleasant especially to the sense of taste.

palatable often applies to something that is found to be merely agreeable.

butterflies that birds find palatable

appetizing suggests a whetting of the appetite and applies to aroma and appearance as well as taste.

appetizing hors d'oeuvres

savory applies to both taste and aroma and suggests piquancy and often spiciness.

dumplings with savory fillings

tasty implies a pronounced taste.

a tart and tasty pie

toothsome stresses the notion of agreeableness and sometimes implies tenderness or daintiness.

an enticing array of toothsome desserts

Examples of appetizing in a Sentence

While the stew may not look very appetizing, it tastes wonderful.

that dish looks very appetizing

Recent Examples on the Web

Choosing the lesser of two evils in this election may not be appetizing. —Caise D. Hassan, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024

If eating solid food before bed doesn't sound appetizing, a cup of hot eat may be a soothing option. —Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Rdn, Health, 30 Sep. 2024

But what Barfoot is willing to show of the sickening shapeshifter that may or may not be living in the vents and lurking around James’ backyard grave is appetizing and, in select scenes, even delicious. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2024

For every other age group, Mexican was the most popular; cuisines like Japanese were also a lot more appetizing to the youngest age groups, showing growing exposure to foreign cuisines outside of Europe and the Americas. —Whizy Kim, Vox, 5 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French appétissant (going back to Middle French, from apetit, appetit appetite + -issant, present participle ending of most -ir verbs), with conformation of -issant to -ize and -ing entry 3

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

appetizing

adjective

ap·​pe·​tiz·​ing ˈap-ə-ˌtī-ziŋ 

: appealing to the appetite

appetizingly adverb