zap
to bombard with electrical current, radiation, laser beams, etc.: The military has unsuccessfully tried using airborne lasers to zap missiles early in their flight.
to attack, defeat, kill, or destroy with sudden speed and force: Late frost can zap tender fruit buds.Real magic is not about wizards zapping each other with spells.
to cook or heat in a microwave oven: This coffee is almost cold—could you zap it for 30 seconds?
to shoot or send rapidly: If you're in the neighborhood, zap me a text and come by!Some of his more complex arguments were not easy to zap into a sound bite.
to skip over or delete (commercials on TV or radio) in recording or playing back a program:Digital recorders able to zap commercials made things harder for the advertising industry.
to move quickly, forcefully, or destructively: Thoughts are like electric currents zapping through your mind. It used to be my childhood dream to zap around in a fast car like that.
a jolt or charge of or as if of electricity: A wire shorted out and he got a zap from his microphone. These fresh-cut fries have a hint of zesty lime and a zap of tequila.
an act or period of microwaving: We sell prepackaged foods that require only a zap in the microwave to make them table-ready.
a forceful and sudden blow, hit, or attack: This game character can kill minions and goblins with a zap even after he dies.
any method of political activism, usually of a disruptive nature: A gay rights group organized a zap of the restaurant to push for removal of its offensive sign.
force, energy, or drive; zip: Their stew is a bit dull, but the steak chili soup packs much more zap and one heck of a lot of meat.
zap up, to add a sudden infusion of energy, verve, color, attractiveness, or the like: This bright skirt is just the thing to zap up your spring wardrobe.
Origin of zap
1Other words from zap
- zap·per, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use zap in a sentence
Those never-ending worries about your finances or job could be zapping your energy.
The hybrid nature of the project ended up zapping the energy from both worlds—film and live theater—rather than combining them.
‘Sound of Music Live!’ Review: The Hills Are Barely Alive | Kevin Fallon | December 6, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe new GOP vice presidential candidate is just as zealous about zapping body fat as he is about slicing government spending.
I had saline mixed with Lidocaine pumped into my face to constrict my blood vessels and numb me so I could endure the zapping.
Hey, Ashley Judd: I’m Puffy From Cosmetic Surgery—And Proud of It | Samantha Marshall | April 14, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
British Dictionary definitions for zap
/ (zæp) slang /
(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
energy, vigour, or pep
an exclamation used to express sudden or swift action
Origin of zap
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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