zest
Americannoun
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keen relish; hearty enjoyment; gusto.
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an agreeable or piquant flavor imparted to something.
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anything added to impart flavor, enhance one's appreciation, etc.
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piquancy; interest; charm.
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liveliness or energy; animating spirit.
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the peel, especially the thin outer peel, of a citrus fruit used for flavoring.
lemon zest.
verb (used with object)
noun
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invigorating or keen excitement or enjoyment
a zest for living
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added interest, flavour, or charm; piquancy
her presence gave zest to the occasion
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something added to give flavour or relish
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the peel or skin of an orange or lemon, used as flavouring in drinks, etc
verb
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing zest
100 SAT words Beginning with W,X,Y, and Z
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A Culinary Vocabulary Sampler
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I’ll add snappy green beans on the side, finished with a little citrus zest for lift, for a plate that feels balanced, considered and far more effortful than it actually is.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
Lemon zest, for me, is a kind of signature.
From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026
For brightness, add lemon zest — the aromatic lift without the watery slack.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
Then comes lift, like lemon zest, a splash of vinegar, something to pull everything upward.
From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026
It is clearly time for me to step boldly into our society, not in the boring, passive manner of the Myrna Minkoff school of social action, but with great style and zest.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
