adjective

delicious

dih-LISH-uhs/dɪˈlɪʃəs/

Very pleasing, especially in taste.

The diner finds the warm soup delicious.

A South Asian diner tastes a spoonful of soup with unmistakable pleasure, warm steam and appetizing food.

Etymology

deLatinaway

+licLatinto lure, entice

+iousLatinfull of, characterized by

The prefix and root formed a verb meaning “to allure or entice,” which yielded a noun for a delight or charm. Delicious carries that enticing appeal into the realm of pleasant tastes and smells.

In context

NDSUExtension5:05

the tomatoes are just starting to come on nice now I can just taste them just so delicious

Extending the Growing Season and Putting the Garden to Bed

More examples

She served a delicious meal.
The fruit smelled delicious.
They enjoyed the delicious surprise of a free afternoon.

Forms

delicious

deliciously adverb — In a very pleasing way.

Similar words

tasty: Pleasant in flavor, often less emphatic.
delectable: A more elaborate term for highly enjoyable taste.