zesty

US/ˈzɛsti/

adjectiveC1Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #13,401 of 15,258leans spoken

Zesty means bright and lively with citrus. A zesty dressing, zesty lemon, zesty and fresh.

The zest is the coloured outer peel, where the oils are, and it carries far more flavour than the juice — which is why a recipe asks for both. The word is used loosely of anything sharp and energetic, including personalities.

Definitions of zesty

1adjectivezestyBright and lively with citrus.C1
“The salad came with a zesty lemon dressing.”
- Said"That sauce is really zesty; it's woken the whole plate up."
- WrittenA zesty dressing pulled the salad together and made the tomatoes taste of summer.
- UsedFinish the dish with something zesty if the flavours feel flat.
- ContrastZesty, not sour. Sour puckers the mouth; zesty is sharp and bright and makes you want more. sour →
- Not thisSweet lemonade is not zesty. Zesty needs the bright edge of citrus.
- Exchange"How's the soup?""Zesty. Someone's been at the limes."
- SimplyThe drink is zesty. It tastes of lemon.
Patternzesty + noun (dressing, flavour, sauce) · fresh and zesty · zest

zesty is a quality of flavour.

Remember it

ZESTy → full of ZEST

It is zest + y: full of the bright taste of lemon skin.

hooks ontozest

Where it comes from

French
zeste
English
zest
English, today
zesty

From zest + -y. zest Borrowed from French zeste.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

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