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Synonyms

nipping

American  
[nip-ing] / ˈnɪp ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. sharp or biting, as cold.

  2. sarcastic; caustic.

nipping British  
/ ˈnɪpɪŋ /

adjective

  1. sharp and biting

    a nipping wind

  2. sarcastic; bitter

"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 Word Forms

  • nippingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of nipping

First recorded in 1540–50; nip 1 + -ing 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.

SEOUL—The startup that is now one of a handful of chip makers nipping at the heels of Nvidia began in a hospital bed in Seoul a decade ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

“For all the success we had this year, we are still nipping at the heels of giants who earned their positions over the last 50 years,” said Hogan.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was a superb delivery from Archer, nipping away from round the wicket.

From BBC

Microsoft currently holds the rank of the third-largest U.S. company, but can it maintain its lead with Alphabet nipping at its heels?

From MarketWatch

To all appearances, the trio of barking, nipping, squirrel-chasing imps had been raised by wolves, and this was why they were not, strictly speaking, ordinary children.

From Literature

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.