flavourless
/'fleivəlis/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking any distinctive or interesting taste; having little or no flavor: The primary meaning describes food, drink, or substances that are bland, dull, or insipid.
- Lacking character, interest, or excitement: By extension, it can describe things that are uninteresting, dull, or lacking in distinctive qualities.
Usage and Examples
- Adjective (describing taste):
- The soup was completely flavourless and needed more seasoning.
- Many people find tofu to be rather flavourless on its own.
- Adjective (describing something abstract):
- The politician's speech was a flavourless recitation of statistics.
- The documentary was informative but visually flavourless.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- "Flavourless" vs. "Tasteless": While both can mean lacking flavor, "tasteless" more commonly refers to something lacking in aesthetic judgment or propriety (e.g., ). "Flavourless" is more strictly used for literal taste or metaphorical blandness.
- Contextual Use: Often used in food criticism, cooking, and descriptive writing to indicate a deficiency. It carries a negative connotation of disappointment or inadequacy.
Variants and Related Words
- Flavorless (adj): The American English spelling of "flavourless".
- Flavour / Flavor (n): The distinctive taste of a food or drink.
- Flavourful / Flavorful (adj): Full of flavor; tasty. (Antonym)
- Flavouring / Flavoring (n): A substance used to give a particular taste to food or drink.
Synonyms
- Bland: Lacking strong features or characteristics; uninteresting.
- Insipid: Lacking flavor, vigor, or interest.
- Tasteless: Having little or no flavor. (Note the potential for different primary meaning as explained above.)
- Vapid: Offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging; bland.
- Unappetizing: Not inviting or attractive; used often when appearance suggests bland taste.
Antonyms
- Flavourful / Flavorful
- Tasty
- Savory / Savourey
- Pungent
- Zesty
Idioms and Common Phrases
- As flavourless as water: An informal simile emphasizing extreme blandness.
- The sauce was as flavourless as water.
- To render something flavourless: To cause something to become bland.
- Overcooking can render vegetables flavourless.
Adjective
- lacking taste or flavor or tang
- a bland diet
- insipid hospital food
- flavorless supermarket tomatoes
- vapid beer
- vapid tea