Zing is a sharp pleasing tang or spark that livens something up. Add a bit of zing, the zing of lemon, needs more zing.
It covers taste and energy alike: a dish with zing has acid in it, and a performance with zing has life. The word imitates a high sharp sound, which is why it also names the noise of something flying past.
1nounzingA sharp, pleasing tang or spark that livens something up.
“A squeeze of lime gives the salsa a bit of extra zing.”
zing is a quality.
Imitative of a high sharp ringing sound, recorded from the early twentieth century.
Of imitative of the sound origin.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA