English Reference

Word

delectable

Phoneticsde·lec·ta·ble

US/dɪˈɫɛktəbəɫ/

UK/dɪlˈɛktəbəl/

Definition

adj. extremely pleasant to eat or drink. You use this word to describe food that is so tasty it is hard to stop eating.

adj. highly pleasing to the senses, especially in terms of taste or smell. Often used to describe gourmet or exceptionally high-quality food.

Examples

“The chef served a delectable dessert with fresh berries.”

“After a long hike through the mountains, we were rewarded with a delectable meal of grilled salmon and roasted vegetables.”

“The pastry chef's reputation for creating delectable confections was built on a meticulous attention to the balance of sweet and tart flavors in every bite.”

Examples

simple

“The chef served a delectable dessert with fresh berries.”

contextual

“After a long hike through the mountains, we were rewarded with a delectable meal of grilled salmon and roasted vegetables.”

complex

“The pastry chef's reputation for creating delectable confections was built on a meticulous attention to the balance of sweet and tart flavors in every bite.”

Real-World Examples

“A lush, delectable dark YA fantasy, rooted in Chinese mythology.”
The Guardian · 18 Sept 2026
“The Shaanxi province is well known for its particular style of cooking: making elaborate use of everyday ingredients, meals can encompass tasty hotpots, hearty stews and delectable dumplings.”
BBC Travel · 28 May 2025
“Not only was it among the most delectable things I had ever sampled, but its clever jab at the 'haute' in haute cuisine illustrated a humor that was both refined and playful.”
The New York Times · 26 Nov 2024
“These delectable frozen Chinese soup dumplings are restaurant-quality and crazy-easy to prepare.”
The New York Times Wirecutter · 12 Feb 2024

Etymology

From Middle English delectable, from Middle French délectable, from Old French delectable, from Medieval Latin delectare (“to delight”). By surface analysis, delect + -able. Piecewise doublet of delightable.

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

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
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