nippy

American  

[nip-ee] / ˈnɪp i /

adjective

nippier, nippiest

1. chilly or cold.

   morning air that feels a bit nippy.

2. sharp or biting; tangy.

   This cheese has a good, nippy taste.

3. Chiefly British Informal. nimble; agile.

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nippy British  

/ ˈnɪpɪ /

adjective

1. (of weather) chilly, keen, or frosty

2. informal

   1. quick; nimble; active

   2. (of a motor vehicle) small and relatively powerful

3. (of the taste of food) biting, sharp, or pungent

4. (of a dog) inclined to bite

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Other Word Forms

• nippily adverb
• nippiness noun

Etymology

Origin of nippy

First recorded in 1565–75; nip ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

On a nippy Monday night at the Zebulon in Frogtown, a man wearing a Jason Voorhees T-shirt steps onto a purple-lighted stage and stands next to a drum set.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

"Here you find luxury cars that you don't even see in Europe," joked Moustapha from the wheel of a nippy little Suzuki.

From Barron's • Oct. 21, 2025

The cabin was heated, which was truly welcome on the nippy day, but it didn’t stop us from jumping out whenever possible.

From Salon • Jul. 20, 2025

Diana Houston said she got "nippy fingers" as she took this picture of moonrise at Loch an Eilein near Aviemore on Boxing Day.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2023

There were tons of old people, arms wrapped around each other for protection from the nippy wind, probably on their hundredth date.

From "The Boy in the Black Suit" by Jason Reynolds