SKIP TO CONTENT

aroma

/əˈroʊmə/
/əˈrʌʊmə/
IPA guide

Other forms: aromas

Aroma is the word for a fragrant scent, one that pleases the nose in a way that makes you lick your lips. Unlike its foul-smelling cousin the odor, an aroma smells but never stinks.

Want to know what aromas smell like? Brew a fresh pot of coffee, grill some onions, and fry up a few strips of bacon. Aromas make you drool. You can also use the word to describe things that don't literally smell, yet somehow seem to linger smell-like in the air, like the oppressive aroma of a brutal dictatorship.

Definitions of aroma
  1. noun
    any property detected by the olfactory system
    see moresee less
    types:
    bouquet, fragrance, fragrancy, redolence, sweetness
    a pleasingly sweet olfactory property
    fetidness, foulness, malodorousness, rankness, stinkiness
    the attribute of having a strong offensive smell
    muskiness
    having the olfactory properties of musk
    rancidness
    the property of being rancid
    tang
    a pungent and distinctive odor
    B.O., body odor, body odour
    malodorousness resulting from a failure to bathe
    type of:
    property
    a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class
  2. noun
    a distinctive odor that is pleasant
    synonyms: fragrance, perfume, scent
    see moresee less
    types:
    incense
    the pleasing scent produced when incense is burned
    petrichor
    a pleasant, earthly smell associated with rain, especially after a period of dry, warm weather
    type of:
    odor, odour, olfactory perception, olfactory sensation, smell
    the sensation that results when olfactory receptors in the nose are stimulated by particular chemicals in gaseous form
Pronunciation
US
/əˈroʊmə/
UK
/əˈrʌʊmə/
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘aroma'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family