zest

[zest]

See more synonyms for zest on Thesaurus.com

noun

keen relish; hearty enjoyment; gusto.
an agreeable or piquant flavor imparted to something.
anything added to impart flavor, enhance one's appreciation, etc.

piquancy; interest; charm.
liveliness or energy; animating spirit.
the peel, especially the thin outer peel, of a citrus fruit used for flavoring: lemon zest.

verb (used with object)

to give zest, relish, or piquancy to.

Origin of zest

1665–75; < French zest (now zeste) orange or lemon peel used for flavoring < ?

Related formszest·less, adjective

Synonyms for zest

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4. spice, tang.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for zest

seasoning, salt, flavoring, ginger, spice, enthusiasm, appetite, passion, fervor, body, get-up-and-go, zip, tang, bite, guts, punch, relish, savor, smack, charm

Examples from the Web for zest

Contemporary Examples of zest

One day at a funeral, he meets Maude (Ruth Gordon), a 79-year-old with a zest for life.
Most Overlooked Romance Films for Valentine’s Day Weekend: ‘True Romance,’ ‘His Girl Friday,’ More
Marlow Stern
February 15, 2014
Whiter Teeth—Make a paste by crushing some basil leaves with the zest of an orange.
Use These 15 Home Remedies Based On Ayurveda To Cure Menstrual Cramps, Hangovers, and Indigestion
Ari Meisel
January 21, 2014
Prince Charles honors Mandela's 'zest for life,' Queen speaks of his 'peaceful legacy'.
Prince Charles and The Queen Pay Tribute To Mandela
Tom Sykes
December 6, 2013
By the end of her life, that energy, that zest, had drained away.
How Margaret Thatcher Transformed British Politics
Tunku Varadarajan
April 8, 2013
At 45 he had lost his luster, his zest for work, life, and family.
Marcia Clark, Jim Axelrod, and Other Hot Reads
The Daily Beast
May 26, 2011

Historical Examples of zest

Yet now, the time having come, the zest for the feat was gone.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Gholson went with her; it was painful to see her zest for his society.
The Cavalier
George Washington Cable
The danger did not have any effect on him, save to, if anything, add to the zest.
The Dare Boys of 1776
Stephen Angus Cox
And he went about it with a zest that knew no flagging, with a relish that nothing could impair.
St. Martin's Summer
Rafael Sabatini
What trustier messenger could I find now that I have lent him zest by fright?
The Tavern Knight
Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for zest

zest

noun

invigorating or keen excitement or enjoymenta zest for living
added interest, flavour, or charm; piquancyher presence gave zest to the occasion
something added to give flavour or relish
the peel or skin of an orange or lemon, used as flavouring in drinks, etc

verb

(tr) to give flavour, interest, or piquancy to

Derived Formszestful, adjectivezestfully, adverbzestfulness, nounzestless, adjectivezesty, adjective

Word Origin for zest

C17: from French zeste peel of citrus fruits used as flavouring, of unknown 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

Word Origin and History for zest

1670s, from French zeste "piece of orange or lemon peel used as a flavoring," of unknown origin. Sense of "thing that adds flavor" is 1709; that of "keen enjoyment" first attested 1791.