espresso
Americannoun
-
espressos
plural
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a strong coffee prepared by forcing live steam under pressure, or boiling water, through ground dark-roast coffee beans.
-
a cup of this coffee.
noun
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strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground coffee beans
-
an apparatus for making coffee in this way
Usage
What does espresso mean? Espresso is a kind of strong coffee made by forcing steam or boiling water through ground, dark-roast coffee beans. The word espresso often refers to a cup of espresso, as in I like to have an espresso after dinner. It can also refer to an espresso machine, as in I got an espresso so now I can make my favorite drinks at home. Espresso is so strong that it’s usually served in a very small cup. Sometimes, people have a “shot” of espresso by itself or added to their coffee to make it stronger. A cappuccino is espresso with foamed milk. A somewhat common variant of espresso is expresso. More about that below. Example: When it comes to coffee, I love espresso—the stronger the better!
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of espresso
First recorded in 1940–45; from Italian (caffè) espresso “pressed (coffee),” past participle of esprimere “to press out,” from Latin exprimere; see express ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does espresso compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Espresso is an Italian style of coffee that's brewed very strong and served in a small cup. When you add steamed milk to espresso, you get a latte or a cappuccino. Espresso is different from regular American coffee in many ways. It's typically made using dark roasted coffee beans that are very finely ground and brewed in a special espresso machine that forces hot water at high pressure through the ground coffee. The resulting espresso is dark, ideally with a layer of creamy-colored "crema" on the top. In Italian, espresso means "pressed out," from the Latin exprimere, "squeeze out."
Vocabulary lists containing espresso
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The one who can knock back a double espresso or even an energy drink in the evening and still drift off to sleep an hour or so later.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Hoping to inspire her UK followers to experiment with the vegetable, she made a sweetcorn latte inspired by a frappé drink she'd had on her trip, using coconut milk, blended sweetcorn and espresso.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
The Cortado Cloud, a 4-ounce espresso or matcha drink sweetened with vanilla syrup and finished with a thick cream top, is exclusive to Studio City.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
The Aero warms the water and incorporates the matcha, leaving you with a frothy base to serve on its own or mix with milk, lemonade, peach nectar or even espresso.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
The espresso counter is either fake or real dark-green marble; it has a cute canopy over it, someone’s idea of Italy, and little swivel stools.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
The first time I saw the U.S. and Canadian women play each other live, it felt as if someone had taken a standard hockey game, given it six espressos, and kicked it in the shins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
She’s eaten croissants by the Eiffel Tower, drunk espressos outside the Colosseum and now, could it be time for fish and chips on the London Eye?
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2024
While the stores have attracted business from tourists, most Italians still prefer to sip their espressos at the thousands of smaller, family-owned coffee bars across the country.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2023
To defend the plan, the government has criticised the cost of digital payments saying cafe owners can hardly accept cards for 1.1 euro a cup espressos.
From Reuters ● Dec. 19, 2022
Her expression was wide-eyed and a little crazy, like she’d just had twenty espressos and ridden a roller coaster, but that didn’t bother Leo.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
