redolent
/'redoulənt/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having a strong pleasant smell: Describes something that emits a noticeable and typically pleasing fragrance.
- Strongly reminiscent or suggestive of something: Describes something that strongly evokes or brings to mind a particular memory, quality, or atmosphere. This meaning is almost always used with the prepositions 'of' or 'with'.
Usage
- The primary meaning relates to a pleasant smell.
- The secondary, figurative meaning relates to evoking memories or associations. It is used with the structure: redolent of/with [something].
- It is a formal or literary word.
Examples
Adjective (Pleasant smell):
- The kitchen was redolent with the aroma of baking bread.
- She walked through the redolent flower garden.
Adjective (Suggestive/Reminiscent):
- The old love letters were redolent of a bygone era.
- His speech was redolent with the political rhetoric of the 1960s.
Advanced Usage
- "Redolent of the past": strongly evocative of a past time or memory.
- The antique shop was redolent of the past.
- "Redolent with tradition": full of or strongly suggestive of tradition.
- The ceremony was simple but redolent with tradition.
Variants and Related Words
- Redolence (n): The quality of being redolent; a pleasant smell.
- The redolence of pine filled the cabin.
Synonyms
- Fragrant: Having a pleasant smell.
- Evocative: Bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.
- Suggestive: Tending to suggest an idea.
- Aromatic: Having a pleasant and distinctive smell.
Antonyms
- Malodorous: Smelling very unpleasant.
- Unsmelling: Lacking odor.
- Unreminiscent: Not evocative of memories.
Adjective
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having a strong pleasant odor
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the pine woods were more redolent- Jean Stafford
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(used with `of' or `with') noticeably odorous
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the hall was redolent of floor wax
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air redolent with the fumes of beer and whiskey
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serving to bring to mind
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cannot forbear to close on this redolent literary note- Wilder Hobson
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a campaign redolent of machine politics
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