crisp

American  

[krisp] / krɪsp /

adjective

crisper, crispest

1. (especially of food) hard but easily breakable; brittle.

   crisp toast.

2. (especially of food) firm and fresh; not soft or wilted.

   a crisp leaf of lettuce.

3. brisk; sharp; clear; decided.

   a crisp reply.

4. lively; pithy; sparkling.

   crisp repartee.

5. clean-cut, neat, and well-pressed; well-groomed.

6. invigorating; bracing.

   crisp air.

   Synonyms:

   nippy, fresh, brisk

7. crinkled, wrinkled, or rippled, as skin or water.

8. in small, stiff, or firm curls; curly.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become crisp.

2. to curl.

noun

1. Chiefly British. potato chip.

2. Cooking. a dessert of fruit, as apples or apricots, baked with a crunchy mixture, usually of breadcrumbs, chopped nutmeats, butter, and brown sugar.

crisp British  

/ krɪsp /

adjective

1. dry and brittle

2. fresh and firm

   crisp lettuce

3. invigorating or bracing

   a crisp breeze

4. clear; sharp

   crisp reasoning

5. lively or stimulating

   crisp conversation

6. clean and orderly; neat

   a crisp appearance

7. concise and pithy; terse

   a crisp reply

8. wrinkled or curly

   crisp hair

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verb

1. to make or become crisp

noun

1. a very thin slice of potato fried and eaten cold as a snack

2. something that is crisp

crisp Idioms  

1. see burn to a cinder (crisp).

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Other Word Forms

• crisply
  adverb
• crispness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of crisp

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English, from Latin crispus “curled”

Explanation

Something that's crisp is thin, dry, and breakable. Unless they're stale, most crackers are crisp. Gingersnaps are crisp, and so is toast — in fact, crisp often describes food, although crunchy snow and dry, brown leaves are also crisp. To crisp something is to cook or dry it until it's brittle, and when a voice is crisp, it's abrupt and no-nonsense. A crisp fall morning is fresh and cold. In Old English, crisp meant "curly," from the Latin crispus, "curled." The "brittle" definition is probably imitative, the word sounding like its meaning.

Example Sentences

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen these: ground chicken pressed thin, seasoned, and baked or air-fried until crisp at the edges.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

Kristen Adam’s softly textured watercolors convey the dreamy quality of days spent on a beach, fine-grained sand underfoot and crisp blue waves hissing against the shore.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

She’s wearing oversize sunglasses, a crisp collared shirt, an even crisper pleated navy skirt and leopard-print pumps.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

Almodóvar is seated behind his desk, wearing a crisp white T-shirt under a tan chore coat.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

By the time he was finished, a small woman wearing a crisp military uniform had exited the back of the SUV.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

• crispy
• crumbly
• crusty
• fresh
• plump