crisp

[ krisp ]

/ krɪsp /

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See synonyms for: crisp / crisped / crisping / crisps on Thesaurus.com

adjective, crisp·er, crisp·est.

(especially of food) hard but easily breakable; brittle: crisp toast.

(especially of food) firm and fresh; not soft or wilted: a crisp leaf of lettuce.

brisk; sharp; clear; decided: a crisp reply.

lively; pithy; sparkling: crisp repartee.

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

invigorating; bracing: crisp air.

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

in small, stiff, or firm curls; curly.

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become crisp.

to curl.

noun

Chiefly British. potato chip.

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

OTHER WORDS FOR crisp

6 brisk, fresh, nippy.

See synonyms for crisp on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of crisp

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

OTHER WORDS FROM crisp

crisply, adverbcrispness, noun

Words nearby crisp

crisis actor, crisis center, crisis intervention team, crisis management, crisis theology, crisp, crispate, crispation, crispbread, crispen, crisper

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use crisp in a sentence

In a gas oven, this may be the difference between small flames slowly crisping a piece of meat and much larger ones licking right up against your food.
Don’t Fear the Broiler|Elazar Sontag|February 11, 2021|Eater
If image quality is important to you for professional or personal reasons, look out for features such as 4K to deliver an exceptionally crisp and refined visual experience.
Computer docks and hubs that can connect all your devices|PopSci Commerce Team|February 9, 2021|Popular-Science
The plus side to choosing a toaster oven with a high operating wattage is a marked increase in cooking temperature, which is essential for performing quick operations at high heat like crisping and browning.
Best toaster oven: Save counter space and time with our toaster oven picks|Julian Cubilllos|February 5, 2021|Popular-Science
Some time in the freezer ensures they stay crisp at the table, not that they stick around long.
Georgetown gains a little gem in Lutèce|Tom Sietsema|February 5, 2021|Washington Post

It may take about 10 minutes until they look glossy, brownish and begin to crisp, so be patient.
Homemade condiments, dressings and toppings are a pathway to fast, flavorful cooking|Todd Kliman|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
Exactly one month after the first straw goat was erected in Gävle, it was mysteriously burned to a crisp.
Sweden’s Burning Christmas Goat|Nina Strochlic|December 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Note: If you prefer cookies thin and crisp, bake them straight from the mixing bowl.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies|Ina Garten|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If you prefer them chewy in the middle and crisp outside, chill the balls of dough.
Make These Barefoot Contessa Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies|Ina Garten|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Blumenthal, a courtly gentleman of 68 in a perfectly crisp blue shirt, gets laughs by trotting out his rudimentary Spanish.
Dan Malloy Is Progressives’ Dream Governor. So Why Isn’t He Winning?|David Freedlander|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
De la Renta did design some stuff for Kennedy too—notably, one perfect belted sheath in crisp white linen.
How Oscar de la Renta Created First Lady Fashion|Raquel Laneri|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Garnache," came the other's crisp, metallic voice, and the name had a sound as of an oath on his lips.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
The small grain crops had been burned to a crisp, and disaster hung over the land.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
The day was perfect; as clear and bright, as mellow and crisp, as rich in colour, as only an October day in England can be.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
The girls of the town could be readily distinguished by their crisp muslins and white hats and absence of dust.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
It was one of those brilliant clear crisp days with which that high plateau can put even California to the blush.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for crisp

crisp

/ (krɪsp) /

adjective

dry and brittle

fresh and firmcrisp lettuce

invigorating or bracinga crisp breeze

clear; sharpcrisp reasoning

lively or stimulatingcrisp conversation

clean and orderly; neata crisp appearance

concise and pithy; tersea crisp reply

wrinkled or curlycrisp hair

verb

to make or become crisp

noun

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

something that is crisp

Derived forms of crisp

crisply, adverbcrispness, noun

Word Origin for crisp

Old English, from Latin crispus curled, uneven, wrinkled

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with crisp

crisp

see burn to a cinder (crisp).

crisp

OTHER WORDS FOR crisp

Origin of crisp

OTHER WORDS FROM crisp

Words nearby crisp

Words related to crisp

How to use crisp in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for crisp

Derived forms of crisp

Word Origin for crisp

Other Idioms and Phrases with crisp