perfume

1 of 2

noun

per·​fume ˈpər-ˌfyüm  (ˌ)pər-ˈfyüm 

1

: the scent of something sweet-smelling

2

: a substance that emits a pleasant odor

especially : a fluid preparation of natural essences (as from plants or animals) or synthetics and a fixative used for scenting

perfume

2 of 2

verb

per·​fume (ˌ)pər-ˈfyüm 

ˈpər-ˌfyüm

perfumed; perfuming

transitive verb

: to fill or imbue with an odor

Synonyms

Noun

• aroma
• attar
• otto
• balm
• bouquet
• fragrance
• fragrancy
• incense
• redolence
• scent
• spice

Verb

• incense
• odorize
• scent

Choose the Right Synonym for perfume

fragrance, perfume, scent, redolence mean a sweet or pleasant odor.

fragrance suggests the odors of flowers or other growing things.

the fragrance of pine

perfume may suggest a stronger or heavier odor.

the perfume of lilacs

scent is very close to perfume but of wider application because more neutral in connotation.

scent-free soaps

redolence implies a mixture of fragrant or pungent odors.

the redolence of a forest after a rain

Examples of perfume in a Sentence

Noun

She smelled the different perfumes at the store.

the perfume of fresh flowers filled the room

Verb

The meal included a delicate fish perfumed with butter and herbs.

a time when it was common for men to perfume their hair

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Dollar growth is fastest among Gen Z, according to NIQ, which reports the cohort’s cologne and perfume spend is up 60.7 percent year-over-year, followed by Millennials’ 26.2 percent growth in spend. —Noor Lobad, WWD, 10 Dec. 2024

And while Trump isn’t in legal trouble for using first lady Jill Biden's image to sell perfume, he’s generated new questions about the legality of using Jill Biden's image to promote a new fragrance line. —Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024

Verb

Thankfully, this launch means that perfuming your hair is more affordable than ever. —Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 9 Dec. 2024

Brooklyn Candle Studio has created the perfect candle to perfume your early bird routine with smells of pear, bergamot, jasmine, gardenia, and amber woods. —Megan Wahn, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French perfum, probably from Old Occitan, from perfumar to perfume, from per- thoroughly (from Latin) + fumar to smoke, from Latin fumare, from fumus smoke — more at fume

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1546, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

perfume

1 of 2 noun

per·​fume ˈpər-ˌfyüm  (ˌ)pər-ˈfyüm 

1

: the scent of something usually sweet-smelling

2

: a substance that gives off a pleasant odor

especially : a liquid containing fragrant oils (as from flowers) mixed with alcohol and applied to the body to give it a pleasant odor

perfume

2 of 2 verb

per·​fume (ˌ)pər-ˈfyüm 

ˈpər-ˌfyüm

perfumed; perfuming

: to fill with a pleasing odor (as of flowers)