ambrosial

1 8.6

Very pleasing to the taste or smell, like delicious food

adjective
/æmˈbroʊʒəl/

: ambrosial

Within a copse of sheltering pines, we unpacked the ambrosial bologna and mustard sandwiches, slightly crunchy with crystals of ice.
ambrosial smell

Examples

The café is dressed with huge windows, allowing in pools of natural light, perfect for studying while enjoying a cup of ambrosial tea.

Blog text (9)
He put the financial pages aside long enough to mix my drink, an ambrosial concoction with just a wee bit of Cointreau added.

Fiction book (1992)
Their juice is thick, ambrosial.

Fiction book (1999)
At that delicate, luscious, ambrosial smell?

Jersey Girl (2004)
I'd brought dried apricots mixed with almonds and M&Ms, and they were ambrosial.

Fiction book (1999)
Mr. Sam Stevens' fish were ambrosial, and the wild dandelion with its sour-cream sauce was a dish fit for a gourmet.

Fiction book (1997)
"As Ira stood in Winstead's sniffing the ambrosial odor of hamburgers frying on the ancient grill, all of that seemed to have happened to someone else, in another lifetime.

Fiction book (2002)
The dessert had an ambrosial flavor that left everyone wanting more.
As we entered the flower shop, an ambrosial fragrance filled the air, making us instantly happy.
The chef prepared an ambrosial dish that delighted the taste buds of every guest at the dinner.

Synonyms

wonderful

vsambrosial

∞ 1.0

Very good and likely to make you feel happy or amazed

is specifically about intense sensory pleasure of taste and smell

delicious

vsambrosial

488 1.0

Very pleasant to taste

adds an emphasis on scent and a sublime, heavenly impression

heavenly

vsambrosial

35 3.4

Extremely pleasant and giving great comfort

the key is narrower, focusing on exceptional taste or smell specifically

fragrant

vsambrosial

31 2.2

Having a pleasant smell like flowers or soap

includes smell but also covers taste and a more sublime quality

sweet-smelling

vsambrosial

19 2.3

Having a pleasant scent

is stronger, adding intense delight and taste appeal as well

delectable

vsambrosial

13 5.1

Very pleasant to taste, especially of food or drink

also highlights pleasing smell and a more heavenly quality beyond food

luscious

vsambrosial

9 4.3

Having a very rich, sweet taste or smell that feels pleasant

is more general, not limited to richness but to heavenly pleasure

sweet-scented

vsambrosial

4 3.0

Having a pleasant sweet smell

goes beyond fragrance to name extreme delight in taste or scent

pleasant-smelling

vsambrosial

1 3.0

Having a nice scent

is more intense, implying heavenly or delicious sensory pleasure

pleasant-tasting

vsambrosial

1 3.0

A food or drink with a nice taste that people enjoy

extends this idea to both taste and smell and a heavenly sense

ambrosian

vsambrosial

9.9

Very pleasant in taste or smell, like delicious food

has identical meaning but differs in spelling from this variant

nectarous

vsambrosial

Literature

8.4

Very sweet and nice to taste and smell

is broader, covering superb taste or smell beyond just sweetness

Antonyms

unpleasant

183 1.0

Not nice and causing discomfort or unhappiness

repulsive

54 5.5

Causing strong dislike or disgust, like a very bad smell

disagreeable

5 3.9

Unpleasant to do or feel and causing annoyance

How Pleasing

heavenly

35 3.4

ambrosial

1 8.6

delicious

488 1.0

tasty

184 1.0

pleasant

323 1.0

bland

22 2.0

Surface Forms

ambrosial positive

Morphology

ambrosial = ambrosia (semi-transparent) = ambrosia + al

The adjective is formed regularly from 'ambrosia' with '-al', but the modern sense has a metaphorical extension rather than a fully literal meaning.

Etymology

Ambrosial comes from the Greek word ambrosia, which means 'food of the gods' and is linked to the idea of immortal ('not mortal'). So, something ambrosial tastes or smells so wonderfully good that it seems heavenly and delicious.