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acquired taste

acquired taste

9 6.1
A liking for something you only enjoy after trying it a few times
  • noun
  • /əˈkwaɪərd teɪst/
translation icon : gusto adquirido
  • While some find it difficult to enjoy blue cheese, others believe it is an acquired taste worth developing.
  • definitely an acquired taste
  • somewhat of an acquired taste
  • really an acquired taste

I mean, it's, it's an acquired taste, but you don't need a ton of it.

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Examples

  • OK, Red Bull is an acquired taste even on a good day.

    Blog text (17)
  • Some people say that opera is an acquired taste, but I don't believe it.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I think it's an acquired taste, you know?

  • It's a bit of an acquired taste.

  • It's definitely an acquired taste.

  • It's just an acquired taste.

  • It's an acquired taste, but once you try it, it's great.

    Blog text (31)
  • Hockey is not a native sport in Nebraska; it's an acquired taste.

    Blog text (4)
  • Rush is an acquired taste, but the drumming talent is not really debatable.

    Blog text (10)
  • Spicy and pungent, Korean food is an acquired taste... but then again, who doesn't like five slabs of thick-cut pork belly?

    Blog text (33)

How Liked

favorite
  • US
712 1.0
preference
157 2.1
acquired taste
9 6.1
indifference
71 4.6
dislike
  • Texting
49 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

acquired + taste

The meaning 'a liking gained after repeated exposure' is directly derivable from 'acquired' (gained/obtained) combined with 'taste' (a liking or preference). This adjective+noun composition is semantically transparent and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, so a B1 learner who knows both words would likely infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrase acquired taste comes from the simple idea that the word acquired means 'to get' and taste means 'flavor', so it pictures a flavor you only like after trying it many times. That's why we use it for things people learn to like slowly, not for things they like at first.