[Vocabulary] Difference between “tasty”, “delicious”, “marvelous” and “luscious”

[kasamb]

Hello everyone,

What’s the difference between “tasty”, “delicious”, “marvelous” and “luscious” when it comes to expressing how good food tastes?

I wonder, if it’s even right to ask, what the difference is rather than what situations or under which circumstances those words would be used.

As I know it’s really hard to comprehend and one of those things, that only a native speaker can understand, and that it’s always better to just say “it tastes (very) good” or “the food was great” or something like that because in many situations using one of those words would sound weird, but I still want to exhaust all the possibilities to improve my understanding with regards to those words.

Thank you

 

[jutfrank]

It tastes delicious. :tick:
It tastes tasty. :cross:
It's tasty. :tick:

Don't use marvellous or luscious to describe how food tastes.

 

[Silverobama]

Don't use marvellous or luscious to describe how food tastes.

I agree with jutfrank.

I'm not a native speaker or a teacher of English. But when I was a college student, I was told that "palatable" and "delectable" are both good words to describe food. And you can also use "succulent", which means "juicy", for the description of fruits.

 

[GoesStation]

I'm not a native speaker or a teacher of English. But when I was a college student, I was told that "palatable" and "delectable" are both good words to describe food.

Palatable: edible; not terrible.
Delectable: delicious.

 

[kasamb]

It tastes delicious. :tick:
It tastes tasty. :cross:
It's tasty. :tick:

Don't use marvellous or luscious to describe how food tastes.

ok, thank you, I understand. My question was however not about grammar. I mean, we can say “the food is tasty”... It was rather about naturally appropriate use of those words with regards to describing how food tastes or how good / tasty food is.

I don’t know why and when, but I know that in many situations it would sound awkward to say “it tastes delicious”, although it’s grammatically correct.

I’ve heard a native speaker that it was marvellous after he ate.

 

[Rover_KE]

I see you posted the same thread here, kasamb.

We recommend posting a question on one forum only initially. If you do not get a satisfactory answer from that forum and you feel that you have exhausted its possibilities, then of course trying a different forum might help. It is only courteous however, to tell the second forum that you have already asked the question on another forum and then give a precis of the answers you received there, or provide a link to it, along with an explanation of why you are now looking elsewhere.

(emsr2d2)

 

[Tarheel]

OK, thank you. I understand. My question was however not about grammar. I mean, we can say “the food is tasty”... It was rather about naturally appropriate use of those words with regards to describing how food tastes or how good / tasty food is.

I don’t know why and when, but I know that in many situations it would sound awkward to say “it tastes delicious”, although it’s grammatically correct.

I’ve heard a native speaker that it was marvellous after he ate.

I might say:

It tastes good!

Or:

It's delicious!

(Always consider context.)