Appetizing means looking, smelling, or sounding so appealing that it makes you want to eat something. When golden-brown cookies come out of the oven and fill the kitchen with their warm smell, they're appetizing. When you see a perfectly ripe peach with its fuzzy skin and bright color, it looks appetizing.

Something appetizing awakens your desire for food. A restaurant menu might make dishes sound appetizing by describing them with tempting details: “crispy fried chicken” sounds more appetizing than just “chicken.”

Notice that appetizing describes food that appeals to your senses and makes you want to eat it, regardless of whether it's actually nutritious. Cafeteria food might be filling and healthy, but if it looks gray and mushy, it's not very appetizing. Meanwhile, a fresh salad with colorful vegetables, a bakery window full of pastries, or even a well-plated dinner can be highly appetizing before you take a single bite.

The opposite is unappetizing: food that looks or smells so unappealing that you don't want to try it. Your brain makes quick decisions about whether food seems appetizing, using your eyes, nose, and memory of past meals to decide what looks good to eat.