English Reference

Word

aromatic

Phoneticsaro·mat·ic

US/ˌɛɹəˈmætɪk/

UK/ɐɹəʊmˈætɪk/

Definition

adj. having a pleasant, strong smell. You use this word for food, plants, or spices that smell good.

adj. characterized by a pleasant and distinctive odor; often used in culinary and botanical contexts to describe flavor-enhancing qualities.

Examples

“The kitchen smelled aromatic with fresh herbs.”

“She added aromatic spices like cumin and coriander to the stew.”

“The garden was filled with the aromatic scent of jasmine and rose bushes blooming in the evening heat.”

Examples

simple

“The kitchen smelled aromatic with fresh herbs.”

contextual

“She added aromatic spices like cumin and coriander to the stew.”

complex

“The garden was filled with the aromatic scent of jasmine and rose bushes blooming in the evening heat.”

Real-World Examples

“CO₂ escapes from the beans, and the aromatic compounds that give coffee its character slowly break down over time.”
Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters · 10 Sept 2026
“A wave of chemical reactions kicks in – the same browning reactions that give toast and seared meat their flavour – and these build the hundreds of aromatic compounds behind coffee’s taste and smell.”
Pact Coffee · 27 Jul 2026

Etymology

Late Middle English, from Middle French and Old French aromatique, from Late Latin aromaticus, from Ancient Greek ἄρωμα (árōma, “seasoning, spicy and/or fragrant smell”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

aromaNounaromaticAdjective

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/aromatic

English Reference