Mouthwateringly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Provoking a strong desire to eat; causing salivation due to appealing flavors or aromas; notably delicious, making one's mouth water at the thought of it
2. Evoking a craving for food through tempting scents or presentation; stimulating one's appetite with rich taste sensations; remarkably appetizing, leading to heightened anticipation of a meal
3. Inciting an intense longing for flavorful dishes; eliciting drooling or eagerness to consume through visual or olfactory appeal; exceptionally delectable, resulting in a mouthwatering anticipation

Etymology: Mouthwateringly is a straightforward construction: the adjective "mouthwatering" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached. The adjective itself is a compound of "mouth" and "watering," the latter being the present participle of "water," meaning to produce saliva or tears. Its first element traces back through Old English "mūþ" and "wæter" to ancient Germanic roots, so the word is an entirely native English formation rather than a borrowing. The suffix "-ly" has a long history of its own. It descends from Old English "-līċe," itself built from a Germanic root meaning "body" or "form," which gave the sense of "in the manner of" or "having the appearance of." Over centuries the ending wore down to "-ly" in Middle English and became the standard way to turn adjectives into adverbs. That is why a phrase as literal as a mouth producing liquid can be turned into a manner of describing how something looks or tastes.

Synonyms: appetizingly, deliciously, tantalizingly, temptingly, delectably

Antonyms: unappetizingly, repulsively, disgustingly, unpleasantly, blandly