relish
gb/ɹˈɛlɪʃ/ us/ɹˈɛlɪʃ/
B1
English
~ 7300
élvezet, öröm, relish, savanyúságszósz, élvez, örömét leli valamiben, előre örül, örömmel vár, izgalom, pikantéria, változatosság, árnyalat, árnyalatnyi, csipetnyi, nyom
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s relish for [something/doing something]
She listened to the gossip with obvious relish.
Látható élvezettel hallgatta a pletykát.
He has a real relish for taking on difficult challenges.
Valóban örömét leli abban, hogy nehéz kihívásokat vállal.
The actor told his story with such relish that the audience leaned forward in their seats.
Her relish for city life surprised her friends from the countryside.
They attacked the project with a relish that impressed their new boss.
Learner examples
He showed great relish for learning new languages.
Nagy élvezettel tanult új nyelveket.
She tells the story with real relish every time.
Mindig igazi élvezettel meséli el a történetet.
The children played in the snow with much relish.
My grandfather has a relish for old war movies.
The team started the new game with obvious relish.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "relish" only refers to a food item. In this sense it is an abstract noun meaning strong enjoyment, often used with "for" ("a relish for adventure") or in the phrase "with relish".
Meaning
great enjoyment or pleasure
Collocations
with obvious relish
|with great relish
|a relish for danger
|a relish for life
|his/her relish for [something]
|tell the story with relish
Synonyms
enjoyment (More general and common; does not always suggest strong or eager pleasure like "relish".)
|
delight (Stronger and more emotional than "relish", often used for very happy pleasure.)
Antonyms
aversion (Suggests a strong dislike of something, the opposite of taking pleasure in it.)
|
disgust (A feeling of strong dislike and sickness, opposite to strong enjoyment.)
Themes
emotions
|leisure
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Great pleasure that you feel when you do something or think about it.
Strong enjoyment or pleasure, especially in doing something or thinking about it.
NOUN
B1
2
relish
C1
Usage pattern:
[food] with relish
He ordered two hot dogs with extra relish and mustard.
Két hot dogot rendelt extra savanyúságszósszal és mustárral.
Stir the chopped pickles and onions together to make a simple relish.
Keverd össze az apróra vágott savanyú uborkát és a hagymát egy egyszerű savanyúságszószhoz.
She topped the grilled fish with a fresh mango relish.
Do you want ketchup, mustard, or relish on your burger?
The recipe calls for a cup of sweet pickle relish.
Learner examples
I like relish on my hot dog.
Szeretem, ha savanyúságszósz van a hot dogomon.
She put relish and mustard on the burger.
Savanyúságszószt és mustárt tett a hamburgerre.
He made a tomato relish for the meat.
This jar of relish is too sweet for me.
We bought some pickle relish at the store.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this food meaning with the abstract noun for enjoyment or the verb. When it is a food, "relish" is usually in phrases like "pickle relish" or "with relish" after a food item.
Meaning
chopped pickled vegetable condiment
Collocations
pickle relish
|sweet relish
|onions and relish
|hot dog with relish
|spoonful of relish
|mustard and relish
Synonyms
pickle (Often overlaps in meaning, but "pickle" can mean many kinds of preserved vegetables; "relish" is usually chopped and used as a topping.)
|
condiment (A more general word for sauces or toppings like ketchup, mustard, or relish.)
Themes
food
|cooking
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
A chopped, wet mix of vegetables or fruit, often sour or sweet, that you put on food like hot dogs or meat.
A condiment made of chopped vegetables or fruit, usually pickled and seasoned, served with food such as hot dogs or burgers.
VERB
B2
3
élvez
A2
Usage pattern:
to relish [something/doing something]
She relished the quiet after a long, noisy day.
A hosszú, zajos nap után élvezte a csendet.
He clearly relishes his role as team leader.
Láthatóan élvezi a csapatvezetői szerepét.
The striker relished every second on the field.
I relished walking alone through the empty streets at dawn.
They seemed to relish arguing with each other in public.
Learner examples
She really relishes her new job.
Nagyon élvezi az új munkáját.
He relishes spending time with his grandchildren.
Örömét leli abban, hogy az unokáival tölthet időt.
I relish every minute of my vacation.
They relished playing in the snow together.
The children relished the chance to stay up late.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "relish" is only used for food. As a verb it can be used for any activity or experience you enjoy very much. It is usually not used in continuous form for simple likes (say "I like pizza", not *"I relish pizza"* in everyday speech).
Meaning
to enjoy something very much
Collocations
relish the challenge
|relish the chance
|relish the opportunity
|relish every moment
|relish doing [something]
|really relish [something]
Synonyms
enjoy (The most common and neutral verb; "relish" suggests stronger, sometimes slightly surprising enjoyment.)
|
savor (Often used for taste, experiences, or moments; suggests slowly taking pleasure, while "relish" can be more active or eager.)
Antonyms
dislike (General opposite of enjoying something.)
|
dread (Opposite in emotional attitude when talking about experiences; you dread something you really do not want to do.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To like something very much when you do it or have it.
To enjoy something very much and often in an eager or satisfied way.
VERB
C1
4
előre örül
B1
örömmel vár
B1
Usage pattern:
to relish the thought/prospect/idea of [doing something]
I don't exactly relish the thought of working all weekend.
Nem mondhatnám, hogy előre örülök annak, hogy egész hétvégén dolgoznom kell.
She relishes the prospect of finally living on her own.
Előre örül annak a lehetőségnek, hogy végre egyedül élhet.
He clearly relished the idea of proving his critics wrong.
They secretly relished the chance to start over in a new city.
The coach relished the prospect of facing the champions again.
Learner examples
I do not relish the thought of another long meeting.
Nem igazán örülök előre egy újabb hosszú megbeszélés gondolatának.
She relishes the prospect of traveling alone.
Előre örül annak, hogy egyedül utazhat.
He relishes the idea of starting his own company.
They relish the thought of a long holiday.
I would not relish the job of cleaning that kitchen.
Common mistake:
Learners may forget to use a noun like "thought", "idea", or "prospect" after "relish" in this sense. Natural English is "relish the thought of doing it", not *"relish to do it"* or *"relish do it"*.
Meaning
to look forward to with pleasure
Collocations
relish the thought of
|relish the prospect of
|relish the idea of
|positively relish
|secretly relish
|hardly relish
Synonyms
anticipate (More formal and neutral; does not itself show whether you feel good or bad about the future event, unlike "relish" which is clearly positive.)
|
look forward to (A very common informal phrase; similar meaning, but less strong and less vivid than "relish".)
Antonyms
dread (Means to strongly fear or not want something that will happen, the emotional opposite of "relish" in this future-looking sense.)
Themes
emotions
|time
Definition
To feel happy and excited when you think about something that will happen in the future.
To feel eager pleasure at the idea of something that is going to happen.
NOUN
C1
FORMAL
5
Usage pattern:
[something] adds relish to [something]
The risk added a certain relish to the journey.
A kockázat bizonyos pikantériát adott az utazásnak.
Her sharp comments gave an extra relish to the debate.
Éles megjegyzései külön pikantériát adtak a vitának.
A hint of rivalry added relish to the match.
The unexpected twist at the end lent the story real relish.
He told the tale with all the relish and color of an experienced storyteller.
Learner examples
The danger added some relish to the trip.
A veszély némi izgalmat vitt az utazásba.
A surprise ending gave the movie extra relish.
A váratlan befejezés extra izgalmat adott a filmnek.
Her jokes added relish to the long meeting.
The new player brought fresh relish to the team.
The strong music added relish to the party.
Common mistake:
This abstract, figurative use is less common. Learners may not realize that "relish" here does not mean the food, but an extra exciting quality in a situation or story.
Meaning
extra interest or excitement
Collocations
added a certain relish
|added relish to
|with an added relish
|a relish of danger
|stories full of relish
|relish and color
Synonyms
spice (Figurative use; suggests added excitement or interest, similar to this sense of "relish".)
|
zest (Can mean lively enjoyment or added interest, very close in meaning but slightly more common in this figurative use.)
Antonyms
dullness (Lack of interest or excitement, opposite of the added liveliness that relish suggests.)
Themes
emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A special extra feeling of fun or interest that makes something more enjoyable.
An added quality of interest, excitement, or enjoyment that makes something more lively or appealing.
NOUN
C2
LITERARY
6
Usage pattern:
a relish of [quality]
His voice carried a relish of cruelty that shocked the jury.
Hangjában volt egy árnyalatnyi kegyetlenség, ami megdöbbentette az esküdtszéket.
The article had a relish of scandal that made it hard to put down.
A cikkben volt egy csipetnyi botrányosság, ami miatt nehéz volt letenni.
Her smile held a relish of irony that he did not miss.
The sauce had a relish of sweetness beneath the heat.
There was a relish of bitterness in his otherwise polite answer.
Learner examples
The story had a relish of sadness.
A történetben volt egy csipetnyi szomorúság.
His words had a relish of anger.
Szavaiban volt egy árnyalatnyi harag.
The soup had a relish of garlic.
Her joke had a small relish of truth.
The movie had a relish of dark humor.
Common mistake:
This literary use is rare in everyday speech. Learners may misunderstand it as the food meaning when used about feelings or attitudes.
Meaning
slight hint of a quality
Collocations
a relish of irony
|a relish of bitterness
|a relish of cruelty
|a relish of scandal
|a relish of satire
|a relish of malice
Synonyms
hint (Very close in meaning; more common in modern English for a slight amount of a quality.)
|
touch (Informal and common; a small amount of a particular quality.)
Themes
core_vocabulary
Definition
A small but clear sign of a special taste or feeling in something.
A slight but noticeable trace of a quality, often of a particular flavor or attitude.
Grammar
Dictionary form
relish
IPA
GB/ɹˈɛlɪʃ/
US/ɹˈɛlɪʃ/
Syllables & stress
rel - ish (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (rel)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: relish
- Plural: relish, relishes
Verb
- Base: relish
- 3rd Person Singular: relishes
- Present Participle: relishing
- Past: relished
Word family
Forms
relishes
noun
relishing
verb
relished
verb
Expressions
a relish for
1/ə ɹˈɛlɪʃ fɚ/
fixed phrase
strong liking or enthusiasm
A strong liking or enthusiasm for something.
Examples
- She has a relish for adventure and travel.
- He showed a real relish for hard work and long hours.
- The child already has a relish for books.
I don't relish the thought
1/ˈaɪ dˈoʊnt ɹˈɛlɪʃ ðə θˈɔt/
fixed phrase
not look forward to something
A polite way to say you do not want to do something in the future and will not enjoy it.
Examples
- I don't relish the thought of telling her the bad news.
- To be honest, I don't relish the thought of moving again so soon.
relish the prospect (of)
1/ɹˈɛlɪʃ ðə pɹˈɔspɛkt əv/
fixed phrase
formal
look forward to a possible event
To be happy and excited when you think about something that is likely to happen in the future.
Examples
- The team relished the prospect of playing in the final.
- She clearly relishes the prospect of living abroad.
- Many workers do not relish the prospect of longer hours.
relish the thought (of)
1/ɹˈɛlɪʃ ðə θˈɔt əv/
fixed phrase
look forward to something with pleasure
To feel happy and excited when you think about something that will happen in the future.
Examples
- I don't exactly relish the thought of getting up at 4 a.m.
- She relishes the thought of finally meeting her favorite author.
- He clearly relished the thought of proving everyone wrong.
with relish
1/wˈɪθ ɹˈɛlɪʃ/
idiom
do something with strong enjoyment
To do something with clear, strong pleasure or enthusiasm.
Examples
- The children attacked the birthday cake with relish.
- She described her success with relish, smiling the whole time.
- He cleaned the house with relish, happy to be moving out.