Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Appealing to or stimulating the appetite.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Exciting an appetite; giving a relish for food: as, “it could not be very appetizing,” Mrs. Gaskell. Hence— Stimulating or awakening any desire; exciting interest or curiosity.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Exciting appetite.
  • adverb So as to excite appetite.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective That appeals to, or stimulates the appetite.
  • verb Present participle of appetize.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective appealing to or stimulating the appetite especially in appearance or aroma

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Calque of French appétissant, -ant being equivalent to -ing. See also appetite

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Examples

  • "They are what I call appetizing," she said quaintly.

    Mistress Anne Temple Bailey 1906

  • "We'll pit these two odors one against the other," he remarked; "though I am bound to admit that the only time a frying fish does really smell good and appetizing is when it has been dead about twenty minutes, and is cooking over a camp-fire."

    The Shagganappi 1913

  • Well, there probably won't be any crumpets, but I might bring some kind of totally unappetizing wheat-free treats (I call the appetizing ones chocolate bars and Skittles but I am trying to stop eating them as a replacement for bread).

    [i] LoveLife 2008

  • A smoked-fish platter takes almost no time to prepare, but delivers lush flavors that can make even shy guests elbow their way to the buffet no wonder Jewish seafood specialty shops have traditionally been called "appetizing stores".

    Holy Smokeds 2011

  • A smoked-fish platter takes almost no time to prepare, but delivers lush flavors that can make even shy guests elbow their way to the buffet no wonder Jewish seafood specialty shops have traditionally been called "appetizing stores".

    Holy Smokeds 2011

  • Minick called appetizing, and a great coil of smooth dark hair.

    Gigolo Edna Ferber 1926

  • By filtering sunlight and mixing selected wavelengths in what Keats calls "appetizing combinations" for plants that are used to savagely foraging on whatever solar sustenance they can find, Keats is humorously reminding a gluttonous humanity how much it takes its flora for granted.

    Wired Top Stories Scott Thill 2011

  • Apple, however, didn't find the idea appetizing and slapped a "no user functionality" stamp on it.

    Macworld 2009

  • The outer chocolate coating is thin, with faint striations on the top to give it that "appetizing" look that a clod of chocolate just doesn't have.

    Nestle Tex Bar From South Africa 2009

  • The outer chocolate coating is thin, with faint striations on the top to give it that "appetizing" look that a clod of chocolate just doesn't have.

    Nestle Tex Bar From South Africa 2009

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