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

---

Other Word Forms

• nippingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of nipping

First recorded in 1540–50; nip ¹ + -ing ²

Example Sentences

In 1986, broadcasters began scrambling their signals in hopes of nipping their losses in the BUDs.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I'm open to evolution and some nipping and tucking, but without being ultimately able to steer the ship maybe there is someone better," he said.

From BBC

“The White Lotus” carried six nominations into the ceremony, with streaming hits like “Adolescence” and “Severance” nipping at its heels.

From Salon

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

Related Words

• bitter
• bleak
• brisk
• chilled
• cool
• crisp
• frigid
• frosty
• frozen
• icy
• intense
• raw
• snowy
• wintry