flavour
gb/flˈævɚ/ us/flˈævɚ/
B1
English
~ 9200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
the taste of food or drink
The special taste of food or drink when you eat or drink it.
Usage pattern:
the flavour of [food/drink]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'flavour' with 'taste' as a verb. 'Flavour' is usually a noun or a verb meaning 'add flavour to', while 'taste' is commonly used as both a noun and a verb (e.g. 'Taste the soup', not 'Flavour the soup' when you mean 'try it'). They may also misspell the British form 'flavour' as the American 'flavor' or vice versa.
Synonyms
taste (The most common general word; can mean the sense of taste or the flavour of something, and is slightly broader than 'flavour'.)
|
savour (Mainly BrE and slightly literary; often suggests a pleasant or distinctive flavour that you enjoy slowly.)
Antonyms
blandness (Describes food or drink with very little or no noticeable flavour.)
Collocations
rich flavour
|strong flavour
|subtle flavour
|mild flavour
|full of flavour
|flavour and texture
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
Examples
- The soup has a rich, smoky flavour that warms you up immediately.
- Garlic can easily overpower the delicate flavour of the fish.
- Chilling the wine dulls its flavour, so let it sit for a few minutes.
- The herbs really bring out the natural flavour of the tomatoes.
- Overcooking the vegetables ruined their flavour and texture.
Learner examples
- This cheese has a very strong flavour.
- I love the sweet flavour of fresh mango.
- Lemon gives the chicken a fresh flavour.
- The meat lost its flavour after being in the fridge too long.
- Spices add a lot of flavour to simple food.
Noun
B1
entity
2
a particular kind of taste
A named kind of taste, like chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla.
Usage pattern:
[food/drink] flavour; in [number] flavours
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'taste of ice cream' instead of 'flavour of ice cream' when asking for a type. Use 'flavour' for named types you can choose between (e.g. 'What flavour ice cream do you want?'). 'Taste' is more general.
Synonyms
variety (A general word for different types; you must add the name of the taste to make the meaning clear (e.g. 'a strawberry variety').)
|
taste (Can be used similarly (e.g. 'strawberry taste'), but in this specific use 'flavour' is more natural for named food varieties.)
Antonyms
plain (Describes food that has no added flavour such as chocolate or fruit; the basic version with no special taste.)
Collocations
favourite flavour
|ice cream flavours
|chocolate flavour
|new flavour
|flavour combinations
|limited-edition flavour
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
Examples
- What flavour ice cream would you like, chocolate or mint?
- This brand sells the drink in over twenty different flavours.
- My favourite flavour of crisps is salt and vinegar.
- They launched a new summer flavour: mango and passion fruit.
- The yoghurt comes in three flavours: strawberry, peach, and blueberry.
Learner examples
- Vanilla is my favourite ice cream flavour.
- They have many tea flavours in this shop.
- This drink has a lemon flavour.
- You can choose one of four pizza flavours.
- The sweets come in many fruit flavours.
Noun
B2
entity
3
distinctive character or atmosphere
The special feeling or character that something has, which makes it different from other things.
Usage pattern:
the flavour of [event/experience/place/text]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this meaning is always about food. In this sense, 'flavour' is not about taste but about the general feeling or character of something, especially in phrases like 'local flavour' or 'political flavour'.
Synonyms
atmosphere (Focuses on the general feeling or mood of a place or situation, not on taste.)
|
character (Describes the distinctive qualities that make something recognisable or unique.)
Antonyms
neutrality (Suggests something has no strong character, mood, or bias; it lacks a distinctive flavour in this figurative sense.)
Collocations
local flavour
|international flavour
|political flavour
|a flavour of nostalgia
|capture the flavour of
|give a flavour of
Themes
culture
|communication
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The market has a real local flavour, with street musicians and traditional food stalls.
- The film captures the flavour of life in a small seaside town.
- The article has a strong political flavour that may upset some readers.
- They added photos to give the report more of a human flavour.
- This restaurant tries to recreate the flavour of old Shanghai in its décor.
Learner examples
- The city has a very international flavour.
- This book gives you a flavour of life in Japan.
- The festival has a friendly, family flavour.
- The speech had a strong political flavour.
- Old buildings give the town a special flavour.
Verb
B2
action
4
add taste to food or drink
To put things like herbs or spices in food to give it a special taste.
Usage pattern:
flavour [food/drink] with [ingredient]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'put flavour to the soup' instead of 'flavour the soup' or 'add flavour to the soup'. Use 'flavour' as a verb directly with the object: 'flavour the soup with basil'.
Synonyms
season (Common in cooking; usually refers specifically to adding salt, pepper, and sometimes herbs or spices.)
Antonyms
bland (Not a verb, but describes food that has not been flavoured or seasoned, so the result of not flavouring food is that it is bland.)
Collocations
flavour the sauce
|flavour with herbs
|lightly flavoured
|flavoured with vanilla
|subtly flavoured
|strongly flavoured
Themes
food
|cooking
|food_drink
Examples
- She flavoured the stew with fresh rosemary and thyme.
- The chef lightly flavours the fish so the natural taste is not lost.
- You can flavour the oil with chilli before adding the vegetables.
- This pudding is flavoured with vanilla and orange zest.
- They sell sparkling water flavoured with natural fruit extracts.
Learner examples
- He flavoured the soup with garlic.
- You can flavour the cake with lemon.
- I like to flavour my tea with mint.
- They flavoured the rice with spices.
- The milk is flavoured with chocolate.
Verb
C1
action
5
give something a particular character
To give something a special feeling or style, for example by adding your opinion or culture to it.
Usage pattern:
flavour [speech/story/experience] with [quality/element]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this verb use is only about food. In this sense, 'flavour' is figurative and often appears in passive forms like 'flavoured with humour' or 'flavoured by his experience'.
Synonyms
colour (Often used figuratively to mean 'influence the way something is seen', especially with emotion or opinion.)
Antonyms
neutralize (To remove or reduce a particular quality or bias so that something has no special flavour or character.)
Collocations
flavoured with humour
|flavoured by personal experience
|flavour the discussion
|flavoured with irony
|strongly flavoured by
|slightly flavoured with
Themes
communication
|culture
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her childhood in India strongly flavoured her writing style.
- The report is clearly flavoured by the author's personal views.
- The lecture was flavoured with dry humour, which kept the audience engaged.
- Their conversations were flavoured with memories of their university days.
- The documentary is heavily flavoured by a sense of nostalgia.
Learner examples
- His stories are flavoured with dark humour.
- The article is flavoured by his own opinion.
- The film is flavoured with music from the 1980s.
- Her speech was flavoured with jokes and personal stories.
- The festival is flavoured by local culture.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
6
version or variant of something
A type or version of something, especially software or a product, that is different from other types of the same thing.
Usage pattern:
different flavours of [product/system]
Common mistake:
Learners may take this sense literally and think it is about taste. In computing or business contexts, 'flavour' is figurative and means 'version' or 'type', as in 'different flavours of Linux'.
Synonyms
variant (A neutral technical term for a form that is slightly different from others of the same type.)
|
edition (Often used for software or products; may suggest a marketed version (e.g. 'Home Edition').)
Antonyms
standard (Refers to a single normal or official version rather than multiple flavours or variants.)
Collocations
different flavours of Linux
|various flavours of the product
|flavours of Unix
|desktop and server flavours
|open-source flavours
|mobile flavour
Themes
technology
|business
Examples
- The software is available in three main flavours: basic, professional, and enterprise.
- There are many different flavours of Linux designed for different users.
- This guide covers various flavours of Unix commonly used in data centres.
- The mobile flavour of the app has a simpler interface.
- Different flavours of the same product are marketed in different regions.
Learner examples
- This program comes in two flavours: free and paid.
- There are many flavours of this operating system.
- We use one flavour of Linux on our servers.
- The company makes several flavours of the same phone.
- Each flavour of the software has different tools.
Noun
technical
C2
property
7
type of quark or lepton in physics
In physics, a way to talk about different kinds of very small particles, like 'up' or 'down' quarks.
Usage pattern:
quark flavour; lepton flavour
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this sense is related to food because of the everyday meaning of 'flavour', but in physics it is a completely separate technical term.
Synonyms
type (A very general word; in this context it roughly matches the idea of different 'flavours' of particle.)
Collocations
quark flavours
|flavour symmetry
|lepton flavour
|flavour physics
|flavour-changing
|flavour eigenstate
Themes
science
Examples
- The Standard Model includes six quark flavours: up, down, strange, charm, bottom, and top.
- Flavour physics studies how different quark flavours change into one another.
- Experiments have found evidence of lepton flavour violation under certain conditions.
- Each quark flavour has a corresponding antiquark with opposite charge.
- The mixing of quark flavours is described by the CKM matrix.
Learner examples
- In physics, quarks have different flavours like up and down.
- Scientists study how one quark flavour can change into another.
- Each flavour of quark has its own mass.
- Leptons also have flavour, such as electron or muon.
- Flavour is an important idea in particle physics.
Grammar
Dictionary form
flavour
IPA
GB/flˈævɚ/
US/flˈævɚ/
Syllables & stress
fla - vour (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fla)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: flavour
- Variant Spelling: flavor
- Plural: flavour, flavours
Verb
- Variant Spelling: flavor
Word family
Forms
flavor
verb A2
flavours
noun
Core family
flavouring
noun
flavoured
adjective
Related words
flavourful
adjective
flavoursome
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
flavourless
adjective
Highlights
- Spelling Variant: flavor Noun
- Spelling Variant: flavor Verb
Expressions
add flavour to
1/ˈæd flˈævɚ tə/
fixed phrase
make food or drink taste better
To put something in food or drink so it tastes better or has more taste.
Examples
- Fresh herbs add flavour to simple dishes.
- A squeeze of lemon can really add flavour to the fish.
- They use smoked salt to add flavour to the grilled vegetables.
artificial flavour
1/ˌɑɹtəfˈɪʃəl flˈævɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
man-made substance that gives taste
A chemical that people make in a factory to give food a special taste.
Examples
- These sweets contain no artificial flavour or colour.
- The label says the drink has artificial strawberry flavour.
- Many consumers now prefer products without artificial flavours.
different flavours of
1/dˈɪfɹənt flˈævɚz əv/
fixed phrase
technical
various versions of something
Several types or versions of the same basic thing, especially software or products.
Examples
- There are different flavours of Linux aimed at home users and businesses.
- The company offers different flavours of the service for small and large clients.
- You will meet different flavours of English on this international course.
enhance the flavour
1/ɪnhˈæns ðə flˈævɚ/
fixed phrase
make taste stronger or better
To make the taste of food or drink better or stronger.
Examples
- A little salt can enhance the flavour of sweet dishes.
- Grilling helps enhance the flavour of the vegetables.
- They use fresh herbs to enhance the flavour of the sauce.
flavour of the month
1/flˈævɚ əv ðə mˈʌnθ/
idiom
informal
person or thing briefly popular
Someone or something that is very popular now, but probably only for a short time.
Examples
- This new app is the flavour of the month, but will anyone use it next year?
- He was the political flavour of the month after the debate.
- Vegan burgers seem to be the flavour of the month in fast food chains.
full of flavour
1/fˈʊl əv flˈævɚ/
fixed phrase
having a strong good taste
Tasting strong and good; not weak or bland.
Examples
- The tomatoes are sweet and full of flavour at this time of year.
- Slow-cooked dishes are usually full of flavour.
- This coffee is rich and full of flavour, even without sugar.
get a flavour of
1/ɡˈɛt ə flˈævɚ əv/
fixed phrase
experience a small sample of something
To try a small part of something so you know what it is like.
Examples
- You can get a flavour of university life by visiting the campus for a day.
- Watch a few episodes to get a flavour of the series.
- The short course lets students get a flavour of different careers.
give a flavour of
1/ɡˈɪv ə flˈævɚ əv/
fixed phrase
provide a brief sense of something
To show a little of something so people can understand what it is like.
Examples
- The introduction gives a flavour of the topics covered in the course.
- These photos should give you a flavour of the city.
- The trailer gives a flavour of the film's dark humour.
local flavour
1/lˈoʊkəl flˈævɚ/
fixed phrase
typical feeling of a place
The special feeling or style that shows what a place is really like.
Examples
- Street markets add a lot of local flavour to the neighbourhood.
- Try small family restaurants if you want some local flavour.
- The festival is full of local flavour, from the music to the food.
natural flavour
1/nˈæt͡ʃɚəl flˈævɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
taste from natural ingredients
A taste in food that comes from real plants or animals, not from man-made chemicals.
Examples
- The yoghurt uses only natural flavour from real fruit.
- This product is advertised as having 100% natural flavour.
- They prefer teas with a clean, natural flavour.
rich in flavour
1/ɹˈɪt͡ʃ ˈɪn flˈævɚ/
fixed phrase
having a deep intense taste
Having a strong, deep taste, often from many ingredients or fat.
Examples
- The stew is very rich in flavour but not too heavy.
- Dark chocolate is usually richer in flavour than milk chocolate.
- The cheese is rich in flavour, so you only need a small amount.