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zest
- pronunciation:
- zest
- features:
- Word History
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
great pleasure; keen enjoyment; relish.
The elderly woman's zest for living made her seem much younger.He set to work on the project with great zest.- synonyms:
- gusto, relish
- antonyms:
- apathy
- similar words:
- élan, animation, appetite, delight, elation, enjoyment, enthusiasm, exhilaration, exuberance, joie de vivre, joy, passion, pleasure, taste, verve, zeal
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| definition 2: |
sharpness or intensity of flavor.
This salad dressing has a lot of zest!- synonyms:
- nip, piquancy, pungency, tang
- antonyms:
- blandness
- similar words:
- bite, flavor, kick, savor, spice
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| related words: |
penchant |
| derivations: |
zestful (adj.), zesty (adj.), zestfully (adv.), zestfulness (n.) |
Zest was borrowed into English in the 17th century from the French word zest that means "orange or lemon peel." By the end of the18th century, it was being used to mean "keen enjoyment."
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