English · Idiom Candidate

acquired taste

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Something that people may not like initially but learn to appreciate over time

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Điều gì đó mà mọi người có thể không thích ban đầu nhưng học cách đánh giá cao theo thời gian

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: a taste that is acquired

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Sources & notes

Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.

Equivalents & related

Near equivalent đổ dầu vào lửa to add fuel to the fire, to fan the flames Tiếng Việt Near equivalent add fuel to the fire Euphemism for to make a situation worse. English · via đổ dầu vào lửa Near equivalent fan the flames to make a situation or feeling worse by adding to it English · via đổ dầu vào lửa

Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.

Common questions

What does “acquired taste” mean?

Something that people may not like initially but learn to appreciate over time Literally: a taste that is acquired

Is “acquired taste” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

What is the closest equivalent?

“đổ dầu vào lửa” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.