zestful, adj.

zestful
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zestful_adj%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2018

# 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?

About 0.08occurrences per million words in modern written English

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

/ˈzɛs(t)f(ᵿ)l/
ZEST-fuhl

#### U.S. English

/ˈzɛs(t)f(ə)l/
ZEST-fuhl

### 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

1. zero tolerance, n. 1940–
2. zerovalent, adj. 1906–
3. zero waste, adj. & n. 1974–
4. zero-zero, adj. & n. 1930–
5. zerumbet, n. 1640–
6. zest, n.¹ 1674–
7. zest, n.² 1706
8. zest, v. 1702–
9. zest, int. 1705–22
10. zester, n. 1963–
11. zestful, adj.1797–
12. zestfully, adv. 1843–
13. zestiness, n. 1912–
14. zesty, adj. 1826–
15. zeta, n.¹?a1425–
16. zeta, n.² 1706–1860
17. zetacism, n. 1860–
18. zeta function, n. 1879–
19. zeta-ic, adj. 1840–1927
20. zeta potential, n. 1927–
21. zetetic, adj. & n. 1645–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by derivation.
< zest n.1 + ‑ful suffix.

## Meaning & use

1. 1.
   1797–
   figurative. Full of zest; invigorating, stimulating, enjoyable; lively, spirited; = zesty adj. 2. Cf. zest n.1 3, 4.
   1. 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
   2. 1850

      > A zestful sort of place in which to spend a fortnight.

      Fraser's Magazine vol. 42 345
   3. 1857

      > How..shall any man..abridge..twenty volumes of such zestful personalities?

      Fraser's Magazine vol. 56 601
   4. 1897

      > He bent over and with much zestful splashing began his ablutions.

      W. W. Jacobs, Skipper's Wooing i
   5. 1923

      > It is said they still enjoy an occasional zestful tramp on the ‘webs’ over leagues of new Manitoba snow.

      Beaver (Winnipeg) January 145
   6. 1986

      > The consultant and his team lip-sync to the zestful vocals.

      D. Potter, Singing Detective i. 28
   7. 2003

      > A fast-moving, zestful, stirring script that serves up corporate greed and capitalist compassion.

      Los Angeles Times (Nexis) 16 February 13
   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. piquant 1645–
      Stimulating or agreeable to the mind or senses; fascinating; charming.
   2. poignant a1657–
      Stimulating to the mind, feelings, or passions; pleasantly or delightfully piquant. Now rare except as merged in later use of 2a.
   3. French 1682–
      With the implication of sexual adventurousness or explicitness. See also French letter, n., French tickler, n.
   4. flavorous 1697–
      Full of flavour; pleasing to the taste and smell, savoury; ‘fragrant, odorous’ (Johnson).
   5. zested 1769–
   6. zestful 1797–
      figurative. Full of zest; invigorating, stimulating, enjoyable; lively, spirited; = zesty, adj. 2. Cf. zest, n.¹ 3, 4.
   7. pungent 1850–
      Mentally stimulating or exciting; fascinating. Now rare.
   8. spicy 1853–
      Exciting, exhilarating.
   9. zesty 1853–
      figurative. Characterized by energy or vigour; lively, spirited; invigorating, stimulating. Cf. zest, n.¹ 3.
   10. juicy 1883–
       figurative. Suggestive, esp. in a sexual way; piquant, racy, sensational. colloquial.
   11. nutty 1894
       figurative. Pleasant, rich, full of zest; spicy or piquant in interest. Obsolete.
   12. sauced 1894–
       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…
   13. colourful 1905–
       Full of or characterized by colour; esp. brightly coloured.
   14. zappy 1969–
       Lively, amusing, energetic; striking.
   View in Historical Thesaurus
2. 2.
   ?1855–
   literal. Of a taste, smell, or food: piquant, tangy, agreeably sharp; = zesty adj. 1. Cf. zest n.1 1, 2.
   1. ?1855

      > They indulged in viands far more zestful.

      J. Wyatt, Mem. Corporation Bedford in Associated Archit. Soc. Rep. & Papers, 1854 vol. 3 173
   2. 1917

      > Mint and Lime are tart and zestful flavors.

      Good Housekeeping June 84/1 (advertisement)
   3. 1937

      > In a zestful Manhattan, vermouth finds its perfect affinity in Old Overholt, a..straight rye whiskey.

      Life 13 September (rear cover) (advertisement)
   4. 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
   5. 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)
   1. stith Old English–1673
      Intense in degree or quality; not mild or weak; severe, violent, strong. Of things affecting the taste or smell. Obsolete.
   2. strong Old 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…
   3. violent a1398–
      Of taste or smell: very strong.
   4. tart c1405–
      Sharp to the sense of taste; †biting, pungent (obsolete); now esp. sour, acid, or acidulous.
   5. frough c1420–
      Crisp or ‘short’ to the taste.
   6. high?c1430–
      Of food, drink, or eating: rich in flavour or quality; luxurious.
   7. lecherous 1474–84
      = lickerous, adj.. (Of food) rich, dainty. Obsolete.
   8. valiant?c1599–1888
      Of a smell or taste: strong, pungent. Also: having a pungent smell. Obsolete.
   9. brusque 1601
      Tart. (= Italian brusco.) Obsolete.
   10. pertish 1635–
       Somewhat pert (in various senses).
   11. haut-goût 1645–1752
       A high or piquant flavour; a strong relish; something that gives a relish, seasoning. Obsolete.
   12. full-flavoured 1736–
       Having a full or strong flavour; also figurative.
   13. lively 1770–
       Of flavour: sharp, tangy, piquant. Also of food (chiefly North American): piquant in flavour; tasty, appetizing.
   14. gamey 1820–
       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…
   15. ory 1854
       Seaweedy.
   16. zestful?1855–
       literal. Of a taste, smell, or food: piquant, tangy, agreeably sharp; = zesty, adj. 1. Cf. zest, n.¹ 1, 2.
   17. robust 1873–
       Of food or drink: having a strong taste or smell; (esp. of wine) full-bodied, rich. Also: designating such a taste or smell.
   18. tangy 1875–
       Having a sharp, distinct, or spicy taste. Also, characterized by a disagreeable tang or flavour (rare).
   19. swarthy a1890–
       Of a flavour: intense, pungent, sharp, or astringent. Also of food or drink, esp. wine: having a flavour of this type.
   20. stewy 1895–
       Suggestive of being stewed; having a stewed flavour; resembling stew.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzɛs(t)f(ᵿ)l/
ZEST-fuhl

### U.S. English

/ˈzɛs(t)f(ə)l/
ZEST-fuhl

####

##### 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

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

### 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

Sort by

1. zestfully, adv. 1843–
   In a zestful manner; with great energy or liveliness.

1. zestfulness, n. 1850–

Originally published as part of the entry for zest, n.¹

zestful, adj. was revised in June 2018.

zestful, adj. was last modified in September 2024.