About this episode
This episode explores the word 'redolent', its meanings, and its usage in language.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 4, 2026 is: redolent • \RED-uh-lunt\ • adjective As a synonym of aromatic , the word redolent can describe something that has a noticeable smell without specifying the scent, but more often it is accompanied by of or with and means “full of a specified fragrance,” as in “redolent with incense.” Redolent can also describe something that causes thoughts or memories of something, as in “music redolent of the 1980s.” // The late-spring meadow was redolent of wildflowers and petrichor . See the entry > Examples: “The store is redolent with the aroma of warm chocolate and an ambience evoking the agricultural roots of cacao with plants and growing tunnels.” — Robert Channick, The Chicago Tribune , 13 Feb. 2026 Did you know? Redolent traces back to the Latin verb olēre (“to smell”) and is a relative of olfactory , “of, relating to, or connected with the sense of smell.” In its earliest English uses in the 15th century, redolent simply meant “having an aroma.” Today, it usually applies to a place or thing permeated with odors. Scent and memory are famously linked, and an extended use of redolent to mean “evocative” or…
Topics covered
- language
- vocabulary
- aroma
- memory
- evocative language
Keywords
- redolent
- aromatic
- fragrance
- scent
- memory
- evocative
- language
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