zap

[ zap ]

/ zæp /

Informal.

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: zap / zapped / zapper on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), zapped, zap·ping.

to kill or shoot.

to attack, defeat, or destroy with sudden speed and force.

to bombard with electrical current, radiation, laser beams, etc.

to strike or jolt suddenly and forcefully.

to cook in a microwave oven.

to skip over or delete (TV commercials), as by switching channels or pushing a fast-forward button on a playback device: We recorded the show on our VCR but zapped all the commercials.

to add a sudden infusion of energy, verve, color, attractiveness, or the like (often followed by up): just the thing to zap up your spring wardrobe.

verb (used without object), zapped, zap·ping.

to move quickly, forcefully, or destructively: high-voltage currents zapping overhead.

noun

force, energy, or drive; zip.

a jolt or charge, as or as if of electricity.

a forceful and sudden blow, hit, or attack.

any method of political activism, usually of a disruptive nature.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of zap

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; imitative

OTHER WORDS FROM zap

zapper, noun

Words nearby zap

Zanuck, Zanu PF, zany, Zanzibar, Zanzibari, zap, Zapata, Zapata, Emiliano, Zapata mustache, zapateado, zapateo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use zap in a sentence

With a small electric zap used as an activation stimulus, the cells were able to divide as normal.
The First Endangered American Animal Has Been Cloned|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|February 19, 2021|Singularity Hub
This isn’t relegated only to how much space you have for these kitchen appliances but has more to do with how much food you need to heat during a single zap session.
The best microwaves: This way for buttery popcorn and tempting leftovers|PopSci Commerce Team|January 22, 2021|Popular-Science
In 2020, we heard endless ideas for gadgets and gizmos to zap viruses and help keep people safe.
CES goes full pandemic with smart masks, stickers to detect covid and the biggest WiFi update in years|Geoffrey Fowler, Heather Kelly, Dalvin Brown, Rachel Lerman|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
As the number of laser zaps increased, the mouse’s GPS place cell network “remapped,” in that he stopped licking as much in the previous goal zone.
How Do We Remember Places? This Study Used Lasers and VR to Point the Way|Shelly Fan|November 10, 2020|Singularity Hub

Remarkably, mice given the electrical zaps showed less amounts of pro-inflammatory chemicals in their blood—dubbed cytokines—than those without the stimulation.
We Need New, Safer Ways to Treat Pain. Could Electroacupuncture Be One?|Shelly Fan|August 18, 2020|Singularity Hub
“Zap This” On August 8, 2009, Tom and Ray talked to a caller whose problem was more animal than automotive.
‘Car Talk’ Hosts to Retire: Best Moments With NPR’s Laughing Mechanics|Caitlin Dickson|June 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Carl Zimmer, Wired They could produce drugs that would zap the viruses behind common illnesses.
The Week’s Best Longreads: The Daily Beast Picks for March 24, 2012|David Sessions|March 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Forrester drew a careful bead on it, went zap again with the pointed finger, and blasted the rock into dust.
Pagan Passions|Gordon Randall Garrett
One little zap would do it, and Alvin Sherdlap would encumber the Earth no more.
Pagan Passions|Gordon Randall Garrett
Flix was with him, and Adams, who was heading the column, could hear the shouts of the Zappo Zap.
The Pools of Silence|H. de Vere Stacpoole
He sat now in what little shadow there was, watching the figure of the Zappo Zap.
The Pools of Silence|H. de Vere Stacpoole
They seized on the tent, the Zappo Zap laughing and with teeth glinting in the sun.
The Pools of Silence|H. de Vere Stacpoole

British Dictionary definitions for zap

zap

/ (zæp) slang /

verb zaps, zapping or zapped

(tr) to attack, kill, or destroy, as with a sudden bombardment

(intr) to move quickly; rush

(tr) computing

to clear from the screen
to erase

(intr) television to change channels rapidly by remote control

noun

energy, vigour, or pep

interjection

an exclamation used to express sudden or swift action

Word Origin for zap

C20: of imitative origin

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