zestfuladjective
Factsheet
What does the adjective zestful mean?
There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective zestful. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the adjective zestful?
| 1790 | 0.0031 |
| 1800 | 0.0028 |
| 1810 | 0.0025 |
| 1820 | 0.0025 |
| 1830 | 0.003 |
| 1840 | 0.0029 |
| 1850 | 0.0035 |
| 1860 | 0.0049 |
| 1870 | 0.0072 |
| 1880 | 0.013 |
| 1890 | 0.023 |
| 1900 | 0.042 |
| 1910 | 0.064 |
| 1920 | 0.085 |
| 1930 | 0.1 |
| 1940 | 0.12 |
| 1950 | 0.12 |
| 1960 | 0.12 |
| 1970 | 0.11 |
| 1980 | 0.09 |
| 1990 | 0.08 |
| 2000 | 0.068 |
| 2010 | 0.055 |
How is the adjective zestful pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the adjective zestful come from?
Earliest known use
late 1700s
The earliest known use of the adjective zestful is in the late 1700s.
OED's earliest evidence for zestful is from 1797, in the writing of George Staunton, physician and diplomatist.
zestful is formed within English, by derivation.
Etymons: zest n.1, ‑ful suffix.
Nearby entries
- zero tolerance, n.1940–
- zerovalent, adj.1906–
- zero waste, adj. & n.1974–
- zero-zero, adj. & n.1930–
- zerumbet, n.1640–
- zest, n.¹1674–
- zest, n.²1706
- zest, v.1702–
- zest, int.1705–22
- zester, n.1963–
- zestful, adj.1797–
- zestfully, adv.1843–
- zestiness, n.1912–
- zesty, adj.1826–
- zeta, n.¹?a1425–
- zeta, n.²1706–1860
- zetacism, n.1860–
- zeta function, n.1879–
- zeta-ic, adj.1840–1927
- zeta potential, n.1927–
- zetetic, adj. & n.1645–
Etymology
Summary
Meaning & use
- 1.1797–figurative. Full of zest; invigorating, stimulating, enjoyable; lively, spirited; = zesty adj. 2. Cf. zest n.1 3, 4.
- 1797
They frequently partook of banquets, rendered more zestful by the accompaniment of music and the display of artificial fireworks.
G. Staunton, Abridged Account of Embassy to China v. 59 - 1850
A zestful sort of place in which to spend a fortnight.
Fraser's Magazine vol. 42 345 - 1857
How..shall any man..abridge..twenty volumes of such zestful personalities?
Fraser's Magazine vol. 56 601 - 1897
He bent over and with much zestful splashing began his ablutions.
W. W. Jacobs, Skipper's Wooing i - 1923
It is said they still enjoy an occasional zestful tramp on the ‘webs’ over leagues of new Manitoba snow.
Beaver (Winnipeg) January 145 - 1986
The consultant and his team lip-sync to the zestful vocals.
D. Potter, Singing Detective i. 28 - 2003
A fast-moving, zestful, stirring script that serves up corporate greed and capitalist compassion.
Los Angeles Times (Nexis) 16 February 13
- livelyOld English–Vigorous, energetic, active, brisk. Of a person, a person's physical or mental faculties, or an activity sustained by a person. Also of an animal.
- sprindOld English–1350Vigorous, strong.
- kaskc1300Active, vigorous.
- wightc1300–Strong, vigorous, robust, stalwart, mighty; exercising strength, energetic (passing into A.3).
- courageousc1386–1577Full of virile force; lively, lusty, vigorous.
- wieldya1413–1916Capable of moving with ease; physically able (to do something); vigorous, active; agile, nimble. Obsolete.
- ablec1440–Now Scottish, Irish English (northern), and Newfoundland. Of a person, the body, etc.: having general physical strength; vigorous, powerful…
- wightyc1475–= wight, adj.
- tall of hand1530–1632Phrase tall of (his, her) hand(s): sometimes, (cf. sense A.I.1) Ready, active, deft, skilful with (his, her) hands; dexterous, handy; sometimes, (cf…
- sappy1558–figurative in various applications. Full of vitality.
- energical1565–1883Relating to, characterized by, or full of energy (in various senses); esp. operative; efficacious. Cf. energic, adj.
- energetical1585–Characterized by or full of energy, force, or vitality; energetic; emphatic; vigorous; lively. Now rare.
- greenya1586–Green; verdant. Also figurative: vigorous. Now rare.
- stout1600–1711Strenuous, energetic. Obsolete.
- strenuous1602–Of persons or their dispositions: Vigorous in action, energetic; ‘brave, bold, active, valiant’ (Johnson). Now usually with stronger notion…
- forceful?1624–Full of force, powerful, strong, vigorous.
- actuous1626–1869= actuose, adj.
- vigorous1638–Of persons, etc.: Acting, or prepared to act, with vigour.
- vivid1638–Full of life; vigorous, active, or energetic on this account; lively or brisk. Of persons (or animals), their attributes, etc.
- high-spirited1653–Exhibiting or characterized by courage and spirit, or (later) liveliness and cheerful good humour.
- hearty1665–Of a physical action: vigorous; performed with great energy.
- actuose1677–Full of activity, abounding in action; active.
- living1699–Full of life or vigour; fresh, vivid; lively, vibrant. Cf. lively, adj. A.3, A.5, A.6.
- full-blooded1707–Originally: having or containing much blood. Later also: (of a person) having the qualities associated with a constitution rich in blood (cf. plet…
- executive1708–1825Active in execution, energetic. Obsolete. rare.
- rugged1731–Chiefly U.S. Of a person: strong, sturdy; robust, vigorous.
- sousing1735–Strong, vigorous, ‘powerful’. Now dialect.
- energic1740–Of movement, activity, etc.: characterized by or carried out with vigour or force; emphatic. Also of a person, group, etc.: full of energy…
- bouncing1743That bounces: in various senses of the verb relating alike to loudness, brag, and vigorous or ungainly movement. Often also (like ‘thumping…
- two-fisted1774–a. (dialect or colloquial), awkward with the hands, clumsy; b. U.S. colloquial, tough, aggressive; vigorous; c. Tennis of a backhand stroke: played…
- energetic1782–Of a person, group, etc.: full of energy or vitality; strenuously active; vigorous; (also) dynamic; spirited; lively.
- zestful1797–figurative. Full of zest; invigorating, stimulating, enjoyable; lively, spirited; = zesty, adj. 2. Cf. zest, n.¹ 3, 4.
- rollicking1801–Of an action, behaviour, song, etc.: characterized by vivaciousness or boisterousness.
- through-ganging1814–1923Active, energetic, spirited. Cf. throughgoing, adj. 2a.
- throughgoing1814–Chiefly Scottish, Irish English (northern), and U.S. regional. Of a person: that gets through work quickly or thoroughly; active, energetic…
- slashing1828–Spirited; dashing; full of vigour. Now used esp. of horses.
- high-powered1829–Of a machine or device: having greater than normal strength or capabilities; very powerful. Also in extended use: of high quality.
- high pressure1834–Involving or characterized by a high degree of exertion, urgency, or coercion; spec. (with regard to selling) employing or involving highly…
- rip-roaring1834–Full of energy and vigour; boisterous, wildly noisy; first-rate, exciting.
- red-blooded1836–Vigorous, virile, full of energy and strength; (now) esp. (of a man) having strong heterosexual appetites.
- ripsnorting1846–= rip-roaring, adj.
- zesty1853–figurative. Characterized by energy or vigour; lively, spirited; invigorating, stimulating. Cf. zest, n.¹ 3.
- dynamic1856–transferred and figurative. Active, potent, energetic, effective, forceful.
- throbbing1864–figurative. That pulsates with energy, life, etc.; thrilling, exciting; vibrant, lively.
- kinky1872–U.S. regional (New England). Esp. of a person or animal: energetic, lively, spirited; (in negative sense) difficult to manage, frisky. Now rare.
- goey1875–Full of ‘go’; energetic, lively, vigorous; dynamic, enterprising.
- torpedoic1893–Of a torpedo, like that of a torpedo.
- zippy1903–Full of ‘zip’ (zip, n.¹ B.1b); bright, lively, energetic; fresh, invigorating.
- go-at-it1904–Full of energy, vitality, or determination.
- punchy1907–Full of punch or impact; forceful, effective; vigorous.
- up-and-at-'em1909–
- driving1916–With reference to music: energetic, dynamic, forceful.
- vibranta1929–Without const. Full of vitality, teeming, vigorous; exuberant, flourishing.
- kinetic1931–transferred and figurative, esp. active, dynamic, full of energy.
- zinging1931–That abounds with energy or excitement; vibrant, lively.
- high-octane1936–figurative. Vigorous, energetic; powerful; very intense. Cf. octane, n. 3.
- zingy1938–Energetic, exciting, vibrant; (of a remark, joke, etc.) witty, lively, and effective.
- slam-bang1939–In weakened use: exciting, impressive, first-rate. Also, vigorous, energetic. colloquial.
- balls-to-the-wall1967–Unrestrained, aggressive, forceful; all-out, ‘full-throttle’. Cf. balls-out, adv. & adj.
- balls-out1968–Unrestrained, uninhibited; aggressive, extremely forceful, all-out.
- ass-kicking1977–Forceful, aggressive.
- hi-octane1977–= high-octane, adj. A.2.
- piquant1645–Stimulating or agreeable to the mind or senses; fascinating; charming.
- poignanta1657–Stimulating to the mind, feelings, or passions; pleasantly or delightfully piquant. Now rare except as merged in later use of 2a.
- French1682–With the implication of sexual adventurousness or explicitness. See also French letter, n., French tickler, n.
- flavorous1697–Full of flavour; pleasing to the taste and smell, savoury; ‘fragrant, odorous’ (Johnson).
- zested1769–
- zestful1797–figurative. Full of zest; invigorating, stimulating, enjoyable; lively, spirited; = zesty, adj. 2. Cf. zest, n.¹ 3, 4.
- pungent1850–Mentally stimulating or exciting; fascinating. Now rare.
- spicy1853–Exciting, exhilarating.
- zesty1853–figurative. Characterized by energy or vigour; lively, spirited; invigorating, stimulating. Cf. zest, n.¹ 3.
- juicy1883–figurative. Suggestive, esp. in a sexual way; piquant, racy, sensational. colloquial.
- nutty1894figurative. Pleasant, rich, full of zest; spicy or piquant in interest. Obsolete.
- sauced1894–With up. Of food: embellished or made more flavoursome by the addition of a sauce; (figurative) that has been embellished or made fancy or showy in…
- colourful1905–Full of or characterized by colour; esp. brightly coloured.
- zappy1969–Lively, amusing, energetic; striking.
- 2.?1855–literal. Of a taste, smell, or food: piquant, tangy, agreeably sharp; = zesty adj. 1. Cf. zest n.1 1, 2.
- ?1855
They indulged in viands far more zestful.
J. Wyatt, Mem. Corporation Bedford in Associated Archit. Soc. Rep. & Papers, 1854 vol. 3 173 - 1917
Mint and Lime are tart and zestful flavors.
Good Housekeeping June 84/1 (advertisement) - 1937
In a zestful Manhattan, vermouth finds its perfect affinity in Old Overholt, a..straight rye whiskey.
Life 13 September (rear cover) (advertisement) - 1999
A sharp herbal hop character permeates this zestful, fruity brew with a mild finish.
M. Dornan, Beverage Testing Institute's Buying Guide to Beer iii. 129 - 2016
A mild wasabi dressing and slices of crispy red onion that neatly balance the nearly raw meat with a heated kick of zestful acidity.
Newcastle (Australia) Herald (Nexis) 13 May (Lifestyle section)
- stithOld English–1673Intense in degree or quality; not mild or weak; severe, violent, strong. Of things affecting the taste or smell. Obsolete.
- strongOld English–Affecting the sense of taste or smell to a high degree. Powerful in flavour or taste; distinctive and pungent; (now English regional) having a foul…
- violenta1398–Of taste or smell: very strong.
- tartc1405–Sharp to the sense of taste; †biting, pungent (obsolete); now esp. sour, acid, or acidulous.
- froughc1420–Crisp or ‘short’ to the taste.
- high?c1430–Of food, drink, or eating: rich in flavour or quality; luxurious.
- lecherous1474–84= lickerous, adj.. (Of food) rich, dainty. Obsolete.
- valiant?c1599–1888Of a smell or taste: strong, pungent. Also: having a pungent smell. Obsolete.
- brusque1601Tart. (= Italian brusco.) Obsolete.
- pertish1635–Somewhat pert (in various senses).
- haut-goût1645–1752A high or piquant flavour; a strong relish; something that gives a relish, seasoning. Obsolete.
- full-flavoured1736–Having a full or strong flavour; also figurative.
- lively1770–Of flavour: sharp, tangy, piquant. Also of food (chiefly North American): piquant in flavour; tasty, appetizing.
- gamey1820–Designating the characteristically strong flavour or smell of game that has been kept till it is slightly decomposed (and so ready to cook) (cf. high…
- ory1854Seaweedy.
- zestful?1855–literal. Of a taste, smell, or food: piquant, tangy, agreeably sharp; = zesty, adj. 1. Cf. zest, n.¹ 1, 2.
- robust1873–Of food or drink: having a strong taste or smell; (esp. of wine) full-bodied, rich. Also: designating such a taste or smell.
- tangy1875–Having a sharp, distinct, or spicy taste. Also, characterized by a disagreeable tang or flavour (rare).
- swarthya1890–Of a flavour: intense, pungent, sharp, or astringent. Also of food or drink, esp. wine: having a flavour of this type.
- stewy1895–Suggestive of being stewed; having a stewed flavour; resembling stew.
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Frequency
zestful typically occurs about 0.08 times per million words in modern written English.
zestful is in frequency band 3, which contains words occurring between 0.01 and 0.1 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of zestful, adj., 1790–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1790 | 0.0031 |
| 1800 | 0.0028 |
| 1810 | 0.0025 |
| 1820 | 0.0025 |
| 1830 | 0.003 |
| 1840 | 0.0029 |
| 1850 | 0.0035 |
| 1860 | 0.0049 |
| 1870 | 0.0072 |
| 1880 | 0.013 |
| 1890 | 0.023 |
| 1900 | 0.042 |
| 1910 | 0.064 |
| 1920 | 0.085 |
| 1930 | 0.1 |
| 1940 | 0.12 |
| 1950 | 0.12 |
| 1960 | 0.12 |
| 1970 | 0.11 |
| 1980 | 0.09 |
| 1990 | 0.08 |
| 2000 | 0.068 |
| 2010 | 0.055 |
Frequency of zestful, adj., 2017–2024
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.
| Period | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 0.015 |
| 2018 | 0.013 |
| 2019 | 0.013 |
| 2020 | 0.014 |
| 2021 | 0.015 |
| 2022 | 0.013 |
| 2023 | 0.014 |
| 2024 | 0.014 |
Compounds & derived words
- zestfully, adv. 1843–In a zestful manner; with great energy or liveliness.
- zestfulness, n. 1850–