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

She always appeared to call from a police station, dressed in a crisp khaki uniform and cap, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

“Let Me Roll It” had a funky swagger, while “Getting Better” chugged with cheerful insistence; “I’ve Just Seen a Face” showed off the group’s crisp harmonies and “Lady Madonna” its tight rhythmic interplay.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

For hours on a crisp, blue-sky day, kite flyers mingled with sign-wavers, sharing space on the National Mall as they pursued their dueling missions.

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

As his deceit becomes apparent, the music shifts from crisp hip-hop beats to a hard-boiled film noir crescendo.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

My aunt seemed to hate parting with those crisp bills she pulled from a special purse that George Bangs, the Pinkerton office manager, had supplied to cover expenses.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• crispy
• crumbly
• crusty
• fresh
• plump