peppery

pep·pery

adjective \ˈpe-p(ə-)rē\

Definition of PEPPERY

1

: of, relating to, or having the qualities of pepper : hot, pungent <a peppery taste>

2

: having a hot temper : touchy <a peppery boss>

3

: fiery, stinging <a peppery satire>

— pep·per·i·ness \-nəs\ noun

Examples of PEPPERY

1. She's a peppery, outspoken woman.
2. <the author of several peppery diatribes on religious intolerance>

First Known Use of PEPPERY

1699

Related to PEPPERY

Synonyms

fiery, gingery, high-spirited, mettlesome, spirited, spunky

Antonyms

halfhearted, leaden, spiritless

Related Words

aggressive, ambitious, assertive, high-pressure, in-your-face, militant, pushy; animate, animated, bouncing, bouncy, brisk, energetic, feisty, frisky, jaunty, jazzy, kinetic, peppy, perky, pert, racy, scrappy, snappy, spanking, sparky, sprightly, springy, vital, vivacious, zippy; ardent, fervent, impassioned, passionate; emphatic, obtrusive

Near Antonyms

bloodless, boring, dull, lifeless; dead, inanimate, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, limp, listless; inert, lethargic, sleepy, sluggish, tired, torpid; low-pressure, nonassertive, unaggressive, unambitious, unassertive, unenterprising