zippy, adj.

zippy
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zippy_adj%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2021

# zippyadjective

## Earlier version

- zippy, a. in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the adjective zippy mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective zippy. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How common is the adjective zippy?

About 0.03occurrences per million words in modern written English

1900 | 0.0034
1910 | 0.0043
1920 | 0.0049
1930 | 0.0055
1940 | 0.0078
1950 | 0.012
1960 | 0.017
1970 | 0.022
1980 | 0.028
1990 | 0.031
2000 | 0.035
2010 | 0.04

### How is the adjective zippy pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzɪpi/
ZIP-ee

#### U.S. English

/ˈzɪpi/
ZIP-ee

### Where does the adjective zippy come from?

Earliest known use

1880s

The earliest known use of the adjective zippy is in the 1880s.

OED's earliest evidence for zippy is from 1889, in the Boston Globe.

zippy is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: zip n.1, ‑y suffix1.

### Nearby entries

1. zipper foot, n. 1938–
2. zipperhead, n. 1967–
3. zipper problem, n. 1985–
4. Zippie, n.¹ 1968–
5. zippie, n.² 1986–
6. zippily, adv. 1924–
7. zippiness, n. 1907–
8. zipping, n. 1868–
9. Zippo, n.¹ 1944–
10. zippo, n.² 1973–
11. zippy, adj.1889–
12. zip tie, n. 1969–
13. zip-tie, v. 1985–
14. zip top, n. 1926–
15. zip-up, adj. & n. 1927–
16. zip wire, n. 1971–
17. zir, pron. 1993–
18. zir, adj. 1993–
19. ziraleet, n. 1794–
20. ziram, n. 1950–
21. zirbal, adj.?a1425–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by derivation.
< zip n.1 + ‑y suffix1.

## Meaning & use

colloquial (originally U.S.).

1. 1.
   1889–
   Characterized by rapid movement; fast, speedy. Cf. zip v.1 1a.
   1. 1889

      > The zippy going-off of the ricotchetty and riproarious ripper [i.e. a firecracker] delighteth not their hearts.

      Boston Sunday Globe 23 June 16/2
   2. 1971

      > The engine warms up rapidly and provides zippy acceleration.

      Daily Telegraph 23 June 11/6
   3. 1990

      > He drives extremely fast in tiny violent bursts between traffic lights and snarl-ups, as if he can't bear to let his zippy car idle at a tame and tedious thirty.

      W. Perriam, Fifty-minute Hour (1991) xx. 238
   4. 2012

      > The morning walks..quickly moved up into longer stretches and zippy speeds that wore out both of us!

      Winnipeg Free Press 25 May a3
   U.S. English colloquial and slang
   1. swift Old English–
      ‘Moving far in a short time’ (Johnson); moving, or capable of moving, with great speed or velocity; going quickly or at a great rate; rapid, fleet.
   2. quick c1300–
      Moving, or able to move, with speed; swift; doing something swiftly or in a short time.
   3. hastive a1325–1450
      Speedy, swift; urgent. Cf. hasty, adj. A.1.
   4. hasty c1330–
      Speedy, quick; swift in motion or action; (also) sudden. Now archaic and rare, except as passing into A.1b.
   5. ingnel 1340
      Quick, swift.
   6. swifty c1380–
      Swift.
   7. speedful a1387–
      Speedy, quick, swift, rapid. Now rare.
   8. current a1393–1837
      With reference to physical movement, esp. of water or another flowing substance: running, flowing. Obsolete.
   9. fast a1400–
      Of action, movement, or progress: †vigorous, forceful (obsolete). Hence: (of pace, activity, etc.) quick, rapid, swift. Cf. fast, adv. A.I.5c and…
   10. swipping c1420–50
       a. n. Striking; b. adj. moving quickly.
   11. speedy 1487–
       Moving, or able to move, with speed; going or travelling quickly; swift.
   12. fleet 1528–
       Characterized by power of swift onward movement; swift, nimble. Said primarily of living beings, their limbs and movements; hence of things viewed…
   13. tite?a1540–1600
       Quick, swift; (also) eager, willing, ready. Obsolete.
   14. scudding 1545–
       That scuds, in senses of the verb.
   15. flighty 1552–
       Swift, quick, fleet. rare.
   16. suddenly 1556
       Used as adj. Quick, rapid. Obsolete. rare.
   17. flight 1581–1642
       Swift, fleet, fast-moving.
   18. feathered 1587–
       That is, or seems to be, supplied with wings; winged, fleet.
   19. Pegasean 1590–
       Of, relating to, or characteristic of Pegasus. Also: resembling Pegasus, esp. in his capacity for winged flight; (hence) poetically inspired or…
   20. wing-footed 1591–
       Having winged feet, swiftly-moving; also figurative.
   21. swift-winged?1592–
       Having swift wings, flying swiftly, rapid in flight (literal and figurative).
   22. thought-swift-flying 1595
       That flies as swift as thought.
   23. swallow-winged 1597–
       a. Swift as the swallow; b. shaped like a swallow's wings; also (of a ship), having sails of such a shape.
   24. lark-footed 1607
       Swift, light-footed.
   25. Pegasarian 1607
       = Pegasean, adj.
   26. skelping 1607–
       That skelps, in various senses; also, big, large, lusty.
   27. rapid 1608–
       Moving, or capable of moving, with speed; swift, fast.
   28. night-swift a1616–
   29. celerious 1632
       Swift, fleet.
   30. clipping 1635–
       That clips, or cuts with shears; that flies or moves fast.
   31. volatile 1655–
       Characterized by rapid passage. rare.
   32. pernicious 1658–1835
       Rapid, swift, nimble.
   33. quick-foot 1658
       Swift, quick-footed. Obsolete.
   34. meteorous 1667–1882
       Of the nature of or resembling a meteor (in various senses); of or relating to atmospheric or meteorological phenomena; meteoric.
   35. windy 1697
       Resembling or reminiscent of the wind, esp. in sound, swiftness, or (in early use) fickleness or changeability.
   36. high-flying 1710
       Swift, fast. Cf. high-flyer, n. II.6. Obsolete.
   37. fleet-footed 1726–
       Fleet of foot, swift in movement; also figurative.
   38. aliped 1727–
       Having winged feet; (hence) swift, nimble.
   39. wick c1760–
       = quick, adj.
   40. velocious 1775–
       Rapid.
   41. flight-performing 1785–
   42. fast-going 1800–
       That moves, travels, or works at a fast speed; fast-moving.
   43. fast-moving 1802–
       That moves or goes quickly; travelling at a fast speed.
   44. meteor 1803–
       Of short duration, passing rapidly, transient. rare.
   45. wight-wapping 1830–
       Moving rapidly, or characterized by such movement.
   46. fleety 1841–
       = fleet, adj.¹ 1.
   47. speeding 1847–
       Moving with speed.
   48. swiftening 1848–
   49. two-forty 1855–
       An expression for a high speed (originally spec. at the rate of a mile in 2 min. 40 sec., formerly a ‘record’ pace for trotting).
   50. fire-swift 1865–
   51. pennate 1870
       Winged. In quot. figurative: very swift. Obsolete. rare.
   52. spinning 1882–
       colloquial. Rapid, fast.
   53. percursory 1884
       humorous. Running or moving quickly.
   54. zippy 1889–
       Characterized by rapid movement; fast, speedy. Cf. zip, v.¹ 1a.
   55. meteoric 1895–
       figurative. Flashing or dazzling like a meteor, transiently or irregularly brilliant; rapid, swift; appearing suddenly.
   56. wind-splitting 1900–
       Formed with a sharp edge; streamlined. Also: swift.
   57. pacy 1906–
       Originally British colloquial. Having much pace or speed; fast-moving; progressing quickly. Frequently in extended use (esp. applied to drama…
   58. presto 1952–
       Music. Played in a fast tempo; quick. Also in extended use.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
2. 2.
   1903–
   Full of ‘zip’ (zip n.1 B.1b); bright, lively, energetic; fresh, invigorating.
   Quot. 1903 probably shows the influence of sense 1.
   1. 1903

      > As for Vivian, our bright-eyed little Daughter, she is the zippiest little High-Flyer that speeds the Boulevard.

      G. Ade in Evening Gazette (Burlington, Iowa) 2 May 10/5
   2. 1917

      > It bubbles o'er with song and jest, Its fun is keen and ‘zippy’.

      National Police Gazette (U.S.) 25 August 2/4
   3. 1923

      > I'm going to write..something zippy to brighten the thing up a bit.

      P. G. Wodehouse, Inimit. Jeeves xv. 195
   4. 1953

      > The March evening was zippy outside but cupped in it the breath of spring.

      American Mercury January 67/2
   5. 2005

      > My cell phone's zippy disco ring tone startled me so badly I almost fell off the chair.

      J. Weiner, Goodnight Nobody xxix. 247
   U.S. English colloquial and slang
   1. lively Old 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.
   2. sprind Old English–1350
      Vigorous, strong.
   3. kask c1300
      Active, vigorous.
   4. wight c1300–
      Strong, vigorous, robust, stalwart, mighty; exercising strength, energetic (passing into A.3).
   5. courageous c1386–1577
      Full of virile force; lively, lusty, vigorous.
   6. wieldy a1413–1916
      Capable of moving with ease; physically able (to do something); vigorous, active; agile, nimble. Obsolete.
   7. able c1440–
      Now Scottish, Irish English (northern), and Newfoundland. Of a person, the body, etc.: having general physical strength; vigorous, powerful…
   8. wighty c1475–
      = wight, adj.
   9. tall of hand 1530–1632
      Phrase tall of (his, her) hand(s): sometimes, (cf. sense A.I.1) Ready, active, deft, skilful with (his, her) hands; dexterous, handy; sometimes, (cf…
   10. sappy 1558–
       figurative in various applications. Full of vitality.
   11. energical 1565–1883
       Relating to, characterized by, or full of energy (in various senses); esp. operative; efficacious. Cf. energic, adj.
   12. energetical 1585–
       Characterized by or full of energy, force, or vitality; energetic; emphatic; vigorous; lively. Now rare.
   13. greeny a1586–
       Green; verdant. Also figurative: vigorous. Now rare.
   14. stout 1600–1711
       Strenuous, energetic. Obsolete.
   15. strenuous 1602–
       Of persons or their dispositions: Vigorous in action, energetic; ‘brave, bold, active, valiant’ (Johnson). Now usually with stronger notion…
   16. forceful?1624–
       Full of force, powerful, strong, vigorous.
   17. actuous 1626–1869
       = actuose, adj.
   18. vigorous 1638–
       Of persons, etc.: Acting, or prepared to act, with vigour.
   19. vivid 1638–
       Full of life; vigorous, active, or energetic on this account; lively or brisk. Of persons (or animals), their attributes, etc.
   20. high-spirited 1653–
       Exhibiting or characterized by courage and spirit, or (later) liveliness and cheerful good humour.
   21. hearty 1665–
       Of a physical action: vigorous; performed with great energy.
   22. actuose 1677–
       Full of activity, abounding in action; active.
   23. living 1699–
       Full of life or vigour; fresh, vivid; lively, vibrant. Cf. lively, adj. A.3, A.5, A.6.
   24. full-blooded 1707–
       Originally: having or containing much blood. Later also: (of a person) having the qualities associated with a constitution rich in blood (cf. plet…
   25. executive 1708–1825
       Active in execution, energetic. Obsolete. rare.
   26. rugged 1731–
       Chiefly U.S. Of a person: strong, sturdy; robust, vigorous.
   27. sousing 1735–
       Strong, vigorous, ‘powerful’. Now dialect.
   28. energic 1740–
       Of movement, activity, etc.: characterized by or carried out with vigour or force; emphatic. Also of a person, group, etc.: full of energy…
   29. bouncing 1743
       That bounces: in various senses of the verb relating alike to loudness, brag, and vigorous or ungainly movement. Often also (like ‘thumping…
   30. two-fisted 1774–
       a. (dialect or colloquial), awkward with the hands, clumsy; b. U.S. colloquial, tough, aggressive; vigorous; c. Tennis of a backhand stroke: played…
   31. energetic 1782–
       Of a person, group, etc.: full of energy or vitality; strenuously active; vigorous; (also) dynamic; spirited; lively.
   32. zestful 1797–
       figurative. Full of zest; invigorating, stimulating, enjoyable; lively, spirited; = zesty, adj. 2. Cf. zest, n.¹ 3, 4.
   33. rollicking 1801–
       Of an action, behaviour, song, etc.: characterized by vivaciousness or boisterousness.
   34. through-ganging 1814–1923
       Active, energetic, spirited. Cf. throughgoing, adj. 2a.
   35. throughgoing 1814–
       Chiefly Scottish, Irish English (northern), and U.S. regional. Of a person: that gets through work quickly or thoroughly; active, energetic…
   36. slashing 1828–
       Spirited; dashing; full of vigour. Now used esp. of horses.
   37. high-powered 1829–
       Of a machine or device: having greater than normal strength or capabilities; very powerful. Also in extended use: of high quality.
   38. high pressure 1834–
       Involving or characterized by a high degree of exertion, urgency, or coercion; spec. (with regard to selling) employing or involving highly…
   39. rip-roaring 1834–
       Full of energy and vigour; boisterous, wildly noisy; first-rate, exciting.
   40. red-blooded 1836–
       Vigorous, virile, full of energy and strength; (now) esp. (of a man) having strong heterosexual appetites.
   41. ripsnorting 1846–
       = rip-roaring, adj.
   42. zesty 1853–
       figurative. Characterized by energy or vigour; lively, spirited; invigorating, stimulating. Cf. zest, n.¹ 3.
   43. dynamic 1856–
       transferred and figurative. Active, potent, energetic, effective, forceful.
   44. throbbing 1864–
       figurative. That pulsates with energy, life, etc.; thrilling, exciting; vibrant, lively.
   45. kinky 1872–
       U.S. regional (New England). Esp. of a person or animal: energetic, lively, spirited; (in negative sense) difficult to manage, frisky. Now rare.
   46. goey 1875–
       Full of ‘go’; energetic, lively, vigorous; dynamic, enterprising.
   47. torpedoic 1893–
       Of a torpedo, like that of a torpedo.
   48. zippy 1903–
       Full of ‘zip’ (zip, n.¹ B.1b); bright, lively, energetic; fresh, invigorating.
   49. go-at-it 1904–
       Full of energy, vitality, or determination.
   50. punchy 1907–
       Full of punch or impact; forceful, effective; vigorous.
   51. up-and-at-'em 1909–
   52. driving 1916–
       With reference to music: energetic, dynamic, forceful.
   53. vibrant a1929–
       Without const. Full of vitality, teeming, vigorous; exuberant, flourishing.
   54. kinetic 1931–
       transferred and figurative, esp. active, dynamic, full of energy.
   55. zinging 1931–
       That abounds with energy or excitement; vibrant, lively.
   56. high-octane 1936–
       figurative. Vigorous, energetic; powerful; very intense. Cf. octane, n. 3.
   57. zingy 1938–
       Energetic, exciting, vibrant; (of a remark, joke, etc.) witty, lively, and effective.
   58. slam-bang 1939–
       In weakened use: exciting, impressive, first-rate. Also, vigorous, energetic. colloquial.
   59. balls-to-the-wall 1967–
       Unrestrained, aggressive, forceful; all-out, ‘full-throttle’. Cf. balls-out, adv. & adj.
   60. balls-out 1968–
       Unrestrained, uninhibited; aggressive, extremely forceful, all-out.
   61. ass-kicking 1977–
       Forceful, aggressive.
   62. hi-octane 1977–
       = high-octane, adj. A.2.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. doing 1591–
      That does, acts, performs, etc.; spec. actively engaged or occupied, busy; energetic.
   2. mettled 1599–
      Of a person: = mettlesome, adj. 1c.
   3. spiritful 1599–
      Of a person, the mind, etc.: spirited; full of energy, vigour, or animation; assertive, determined, bold. Cf. spirited, adj. 2a.
   4. spirited 1601–
      Of a person: full of spirit; of a lively, animated, or energetic disposition; characterized by courageous, assertive, or determined behaviour. Also…
   5. mettle 1606–1896
      (attributive). Spirited, feisty; lively, eager, willing. Also: brave, courageous. In later use Scottish and English regional (northern). Obsolete.
   6. free-spirited 1613–
      That is or has a free spirit; lively and independent; unconstrained by convention.
   7. high-mettled a1626–
      Having or characterized by considerable courage or spirit; (esp. of a horse) lively, headstrong. Cf. mettlesome, adj.
   8. spright 1658–
      Sprightly; lively, vigorous.
   9. racy 1671–1871
      Of a person or personal attribute: having a distinctive lively or spirited quality; full of 'go'. Obsolete.
   10. mettlesome 1673–
       Of a person: high-spirited, vivacious, playful. Also: courageous, brave.
   11. dashing 1796–
       Characterized by prompt vigour of action; spirited, lively, impetuous.
   12. peppery 1829–
       figurative. In extended use: strong, powerful; lively, spirited; (in negative contexts) unpleasant, objectionable.
   13. spunky 1831–
       Characterized by animation or spirit.
   14. fizzy 1855–
       Given to fizz. Also figurative.
   15. zippy 1903–
       Full of ‘zip’ (zip, n.¹ B.1b); bright, lively, energetic; fresh, invigorating.
   16. smoking hot 1947–
       colloquial. Frequently in form smokin' hot. Originally Jazz. Very lively, energetic, or exciting; performing or performed at a very high level…
   View in Historical Thesaurus
3. 3.
   1911–
   Designating a zesty, tangy, or piquant flavour; (of food or drink) having such flavour.
   1. 1911

      > Apples with that zippy tang that a cold climate gives.

      Living without Boss xiv. 144
   2. 1980

      > Ch. Potensac. Zippy little wine.

      M. Broadbent, Great Vintage Wine Book 134
   3. 2013

      > Bo kho, a beefy braise perfumed with star anise and zippy lemongrass.

      Wall Street Journal 12 January d5/1
   U.S. English colloquial and slang
   1. good Old English–
      Pleasing, appealing, or satisfying to the senses. Pleasant to eat or smell; tasty, appetizing; fragrant. Also in figurative contexts.
   2. liking Old English–1695
      That is pleasing or likeable; pleasant, agreeable, attractive. Also (of food): tasty, delicious. Frequently with to.
   3. lickerous c1275–1603
      Pleasing or tempting to the palate. Also gen. and figurative: Sweet, pleasant, delightful.
   4. delicious a1325–
      Extremely pleasing to the senses, esp. to the taste or smell; providing great sensual pleasure; delectable; (now usually) very appetizing, highly…
   5. dainty a1382–
      With reference to food or drink: appetizing, delicate, delicious; pleasing to the palate.
   6. dainteous c1386–1548
      = dainty, adj.
   7. daintiful 1393–1440
      = dainty, adj.
   8. delicate a1398–
      Of food or drink: very pleasing to the taste; delicious; choice. Now rare.
   9. merry a1398–1582
      Of an odour: pleasant, fragrant. Of a fruit, plant, etc.: sweet-smelling, aromatic. Obsolete.
   10. savourly c1400–
       Having a pleasant taste or fragrance; full of savour (in various senses of the noun), savoury.
   11. licious c1420–1670
       = delicious, adj. & n.
   12. savourous a1425–
       Having a (usually pleasant) flavour or odour; appetizing, fragrant.
   13. dainteth c1430–40
       Obsolete.
   14. lusty c1430–50
       Pleasing, pleasant. Obsolete. Pleasant to the taste. Obsolete.
   15. feelsome a1450–
       Pleasing to the senses.
   16. nutty a1450–
       Resembling a nut or nuts in flavour, colour, etc.
   17. seasonable a1475
       Capable of serving as seasoning; tasty, savoury. Obsolete. rare.
   18. delicative c1475–1510
       Delightful, luxurious; delicious; (of a person) given to or immoderatly fond of pleasure or luxury. Also as n.: a delicious or choice food, a…
   19. unctuous 1495–
       Of meat: Greasy, fat, rich. Now archaic.
   20. well-tasted a1500–
       Having a pleasant flavour; tasty. Also figurative. Now archaic and rare.
   21. daintive 1526
       = dainty, n., dainty, adj.
   22. savoury 1533–
       Of food or drink: having a salty, piquant, or ‘umami’ taste or flavour; not sweet. Also: of or relating to such food or drink. Cf. umami, n.
   23. exquisite 1561–
       Sought out, ‘recherché’. Of meat, drink, etc.: Carefully chosen; choice, dainty, delicious (passing into sense A.5).
   24. spicy 1562–
       Having the characteristic qualities of spice; of the nature of spice.
   25. well-relished?1575–1826
       Having a pleasant taste; very appetizing. Also figurative.
   26. toothsome 1584–
       Pleasant to the taste, savoury, palatable: cf. tooth, n. I.2a.
   27. taste-pleasing a1586–
   28. daint 1590–1673
       = dainty, adj.
   29. relishsome 1593–
       Relishable; tasty, appetizing.
   30. lickerish 1595–1728
       Pleasant to the palate; gen. sweet, tempting, attractive; = lickerous, adj. 1. Of a cook: Skilful in preparing dainties. Obsolete.
   31. tastesome 1598
       Pleasant to the taste; ‘tasty’, toothsome.
   32. friand 1599–1818
       Dainty; delicious to the palate; fond of delicate food.
   33. tooth-tempting 1603–
   34. relishing 1605–
       Appetizing, relishable; enjoyable.
   35. well-relishing 1608–1836
       Having a pleasant taste; = well-relished, adj. Also figurative.
   36. neat 1609–1857
       Of preparations, esp. in cookery: skilfully or tastefully prepared; choice; elegant. Obsolete.
   37. hungry 1611–
       Causing or inducing hunger; appetizing. rare.
   38. palate-pleasing 1611–
   39. tasteful 1611–
       Having an agreeable taste; palatable, toothsome, tasty. Now rare.
   40. palate a1617
       Pleasant to the palate or taste; palatable. Obsolete. rare.
   41. tasty a1617–
       Pleasing to the taste; appetizing, savoury.
   42. palatable 1619–
       Of food, drink, medicine, etc.: agreeable or acceptable to the palate; pleasant to the taste.
   43. toothful 1622
       Pleasant to the taste: = toothsome, adj. Obsolete.
   44. sipid 1623–
       Savoury; = sapid, adj. 1.
   45. unsoured 1626–
       (un-, prefix¹ affix 2.)
   46. famelic 1631–51
       Pertaining to hunger; in quots.: Exciting hunger, appetizing.
   47. tasteable a1641–1791
       Pleasant to the taste; savoury, ‘tasty’. Obsolete.
   48. piquant 1645–
       Of food, etc.: having a (usually pleasantly) pungent or sharp taste; sharp; tangy; appetizing.
   49. sapid 1646–
       Of food, etc.: Readily perceptible by the organs of taste, having a decided taste or flavour; esp. having a pleasant taste, savoury, palatable.
   50. saporous a1670–
       Of or pertaining to taste; having flavour or taste; yielding some kind of taste. †Also, agreeable to the taste, savoury.
   51. slape 1671–
       Of ale: (see quots.).
   52. palative a1682–
       Appealing to the palate or taste. Also: of or relating to the palate.
   53. flavorous 1697–
       Full of flavour; pleasing to the taste and smell, savoury; ‘fragrant, odorous’ (Johnson).
   54. nice 1709–
       Of food or drink: dainty, choice; (later in weakened sense) tasty, appetizing; refreshing, restorative.
   55. well-flavoured 1717–
       Having a good natural flavour; flavourful.
   56. gusty 1721–
       Tasty, savoury, appetizing.
   57. flavoury 1727–
       = flavoursome, adj.
   58. fine-palated 1735–
       †a. Having a pleasant taste, palatable (obsolete rare); b. having a sophisticated palate (palate, n. A.2a); appreciative of fine food and drink.
   59. unrepulsive 1787–
       Not repulsive.
   60. degustatory 1824–
       Pertaining to degustation; tasty.
   61. zesty 1826–
       Of a taste, smell, or food: piquant, tangy, agreeably sharp; flavoursome.
   62. peckish 1845
       Appetizing. Obsolete. rare.
   63. mouth-watering 1847–
       That causes a flow of saliva into the mouth, appetizing; (figurative) desirable, highly attractive.
   64. flavoursome 1853–
       Full of flavour.
   65. unreasty 1853
       Not rancid.
   66. unrancid a1855–
       Not rancid. Also figurative.
   67. relishy 1864–
       Appetizing, relishable.
   68. toothy 1864–
       Toothsome, palatable. rare.
   69. flavoured 1867–
       Having flavour; chiefly, having a specified flavour, indicated by some defining word as ill-flavoured, orange-flavoured, vanilla-flavoured, etc.
   70. tasty-looking 1867–
   71. hungrifying 1886–
       Appetizing.
   72. velvety 1888–
       Smooth and soft to the taste.
   73. snappy 1892–
       colloquial. Having a brisk smack or flavour.
   74. zippy 1911–
       Designating a zesty, tangy, or piquant flavour; (of food or drink) having such flavour.
   75. savoursome 1922–
       Having a pleasant or savoury taste or smell; (also) able to be savoured.
   76. delish 1953–
       Extremely pleasing to the senses; (chiefly) very tasty or appetizing. Sometimes of a person: very attractive. Cf. delicious, adj. A.1.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
   1. tooth-tempting 1603–
   2. piquant 1645–
      Of food, etc.: having a (usually pleasantly) pungent or sharp taste; sharp; tangy; appetizing.
   3. appetizing 1653–
      Exciting a desire or longing, esp. for food; stimulating or whetting the appetite.
   4. moreish 1691–
      Of food or drink: that makes one want to have more. Occasionally in extended use.
   5. peckish 1845
      Appetizing. Obsolete. rare.
   6. mouth-watering 1847–
      That causes a flow of saliva into the mouth, appetizing; (figurative) desirable, highly attractive.
   7. appetitive 1864–
      Giving an appetite; appetizing, attractive. rare.
   8. tasty-looking 1867–
   9. hungrifying 1886–
      Appetizing.
   10. zippy 1911–
       Designating a zesty, tangy, or piquant flavour; (of food or drink) having such flavour.
   11. binge-worthy 1997–
       Of food or drink: extremely appetizing or enjoyable, in a way that encourages overindulgence.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɪpi/
ZIP-ee

### U.S. English

/ˈzɪpi/
ZIP-ee

####

##### 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 /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### 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 /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### 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

zippy typically occurs about 0.03 times per million words in modern written English.

zippy 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 data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zippy, adj., 1900–2010

* 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
--- | ---
1900 | 0.0034
1910 | 0.0043
1920 | 0.0049
1930 | 0.0055
1940 | 0.0078
1950 | 0.012
1960 | 0.017
1970 | 0.022
1980 | 0.028
1990 | 0.031
2000 | 0.035
2010 | 0.04

### Frequency of zippy, 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 | 0.21
2018 | 0.2
2019 | 0.19
2020 | 0.18
2021 | 0.19
2022 | 0.18
2023 | 0.19
2024 | 0.2

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. zippiness, n. 1907–
   The quality of being zippy (in various senses)…

1. zippily, adv. 1924–
   In a zippy manner; quickly, with great energy or…

zippy, adj. was revised in March 2021.

zippy, adj. was last modified in June 2024.