Perfumed
adjective /ˈpɜːfjuːmd/ — Scented with perfume — and by extension, any pleasant scent deliberately or naturally applied.
Definition
Impregnated with perfume; having a pleasant smell; filled or saturated with fragrance.
Beyond the definition
Perfumed has an intimacy that fragrant lacks — something has been perfumed by intention, or by proximity to something that has been perfumed. The scent is in the object, woven in. A perfumed letter, a perfumed garden, a perfumed memory: all suggest presence that hasn't left.
Origin & history
From French parfum — to fill with smoke (per: through + fumare: to smoke). Perfume was originally the smoke of incense — fragrance carried through smoke. The scented became named for the original smoky delivery.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The envelope was still perfumed — the scent outlasting the relationship.
The perfumed garden in full summer: jasmine and rose and the particular warmth that carries scent.
She'd always associated perfumed things with formality — it was the scent that announced occasion.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Perfumed” when the meaning fits your context: Impregnated with perfume; having a pleasant smell; filled or saturated with fragrance.
Synonyms
Antonyms
odorless, unscented, fetid
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Lingering Traces of Presence
An empty hallway features a perfume bottle on a table, with a translucent ribbon curling from a scarf to a departing person.
The perfume bottle and the curling ribbon symbolize a perfumed, lingering fragrance left behind in the space. It captures the memory and sensory impression that remains even after the individual has left, creating an atmospheric, scented trace of their presence.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Perfumed" mean?
Perfumed is adjective meaning: Scented with perfume — and by extension, any pleasant scent deliberately or naturally applied.. Impregnated with perfume; having a pleasant smell; filled or saturated with fragrance.
Where does the word "Perfumed" come from?
From French parfum — to fill with smoke (per: through + fumare: to smoke). Perfume was originally the smoke of incense — fragrance carried through smoke. The scented became named for the original smoky delivery.