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Synonyms

gusto

American  
[guhs-toh] / ˈgʌs toʊ /

noun

plural

gustoes

  1. hearty or keen enjoyment, as in eating or drinking, or in action or speech in general.

    to dance with gusto.
    Synonyms:
    fervor, spirit, zest, relish, delight, enthusiasm

  2. individual taste or liking.

    The boy is an imaginative charmer, with a gusto for storytelling.

  3. Archaic. artistic style or taste.

gusto British  
/ ˈɡʌstəʊ /

noun

  1. vigorous enjoyment, zest, or relish, esp in the performance of an action

    the aria was sung with great gusto
"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

Etymology

Origin of gusto

First recorded in 1620–30; from Italian, from Latin gustus; gust 2

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.

Only 39, he took up the role with gusto, launching into an anti-crime drive that proved popular with the electorate but not enough to keep his head off the chopping block.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

Rep. Jamie Raskin unpacks the AG Pam Bondi hearing with gusto; Trump remakes DC in his own image; and the complexities of patriotism at the Olympics.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

Sean Baker’s hyperactive “Tangerine,” shot on an iPhone at a doughnut shop on Santa Monica Boulevard, not only makes that point with gusto, it encourages you to get out and roam.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 15, 2026

His obsessiveness and solitude recall the math genius in Darren Aronofsky’s first feature, “Pi,” and “OBEX” has much of that film’s homemade-looking gusto as well as its attractive facility for unpredictable dreamlike twists.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

“Better to make mistakes with gusto than squeak like mice so no one can hear you at all. Hmm! I wonder if there will be a birthday party this morning?”

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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.