Nectareous

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the sweet, delicious quality of nectar, as in a flavor or fragrance that seems fit for the gods
2. Tasting or smelling as sweet and luscious as the nectar of myth and flower blossoms
3. Sweetly pleasing to the senses, like the honeyed drink said to be enjoyed by the gods of antiquity

Etymology: "Nectareous" is a learned borrowing from Latin "nectareus," meaning "of nectar" or "sweet." That Latin adjective came from Ancient Greek "nektáreos," which described something sweet as nectar or fragrant, and it was built on "néktar," the drink or substance the Greek gods were said to consume. The Greek word for nectar was itself sometimes linked to the idea of overcoming death, though that is a later gloss rather than a firm etymology. English took the word directly from Latin rather than through French, which is why it looks so close to its classical source. Its meaning stayed close to the original: something that smells or tastes like nectar, or is richly sweet, in the way the ancient writers imagined the food of the gods.

Synonyms: sweet, luscious, honeyed

Antonyms: bitter, sour