zest

American  

[zest] / zɛst /

noun

1. keen relish; hearty enjoyment; gusto.

2. an agreeable or piquant flavor imparted to something.

3. anything added to impart flavor, enhance one's appreciation, etc.

4. piquancy; interest; charm.

   Synonyms:

   tang, spice

5. liveliness or energy; animating spirit.

6. the peel, especially the thin outer peel, of a citrus fruit used for flavoring.

   lemon zest.

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verb (used with object)

1. to give zest, relish, or piquancy to.

zest British  

/ zɛst /

noun

1. invigorating or keen excitement or enjoyment

   a zest for living

2. added interest, flavour, or charm; piquancy

   her presence gave zest to the occasion

3. something added to give flavour or relish

4. the peel or skin of an orange or lemon, used as flavouring in drinks, etc

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• zestful adjective
• zestfully adverb
• zestfulness noun
• zestless adjective
• zesty adjective

Etymology

Origin of zest

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

Explanation

Zest is a kind of zeal or enthusiasm. If you've got a zest for something, you put your whole heart and soul into it. Dancers who have great zest leap, kick, and soar their way around the stage with a kind of joyful energy. Oddly enough, zest can also be the outer peel of a lemon or orange, which chefs scrape into their dishes when they want to add some tartness and tanginess to a recipe. People who live with that same kind of spice are said to have a "zest for life." In other words, they live their lives with a lot of flavor and gusto. A student who has a zest for learning dives into her books with an enjoyment and relish most people reserve for their wedding day.

Example Sentences

A little lemon zest can perk up even the simplest of dishes, like scrambled eggs.

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026

"He no longer had any zest for life," Josee Poissant told AFP.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

As Helen Zoe Veit tells it in “Picky,” a “childish” appetite used to be one characterized by zest and indiscrimination.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

She says it not only gave "her zest for life" back – it saved her marriage.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

It lightened the heart, though we were too rundown to be able to show our relief in alacrity or zest of movement.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• flavoring
• ginger
• salt
• seasoning
• spice