Distastes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A strong feeling of aversion or disgust towards something
2. an intense dislike for a particular object or idea
3. the sensation of revulsion that arises from something offensive or unpleasant

Etymology: "Distastes" is the third-person singular present form of "distaste," a verb-turned-noun that takes its meaning from a simple prefix added to an everyday word. The prefix "dis-" comes from Latin and signals reversal or negation, so "distaste" literally means the opposite of "taste" in the sense of liking or relishing something. Its earliest sense was the plain physical one: an unpleasant flavour, the reverse of a pleasing one. The noun "distaste" moved from that literal sense of bad flavour to a feeling of disgust or aversion toward something, and the shift from the palate to the mind is what gives the word its modern meaning. The plural "distastes" is used when speaking of several separate aversions, each one a particular dislike a person holds.

Synonyms: dislikes, aversions, antipathies, disgusts

Antonyms: likes, preferences, fondness, pleasures