crisp

adjective \ ˈkrisp \

|Updated on: 24 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: crisp in a Sentence

Definition of crisp

crisper; crispest

1 : curly, wavy; also : having close stiff or wiry curls or waves

2 a : easily crumbled : brittle

a crisp cracker

b : desirably firm and crunchy

crisp lettuce

3 a : notably sharp, clean-cut, and clear

a crisp illustration

; also : concise and to the point

a crisp reply

b : noticeably neat

crisp new clothes

c : brisk, lively

a crisp tale of intrigue

crisp musical tempi

d : briskly cold

crisp winter weather

; also : fresh, invigorating

crisp autumn air

a crisp white wine

e : deftly and powerfully executed

a crisp tennis serve

—

crisply

adverb

—

crispness

noun

See crisp defined for English-language learners

See crisp defined for kids

Examples of crisp in a Sentence

I put on a crisp shirt and tie.
The stereo's sound is crisp and clear.

Recent Examples of crisp from the Web

And the verdict is clear: Bryan Furman’s lemon-pepper [wet] chicken checks all the boxes: juicy on the inside, crisp on the outside, flavored with a swoon-worthy balance of salt and pepper and sweet, sweet lemony butter.

— hilary cadigan, Bon Appetit, "Heaven Is an Entire Lemon-Pepper Chicken Doused in Honey Butter," 14 June 2018
At 4,000 feet above sea level, La Granja boasts crisp, dry air in summer and visitors who so desire can get good and wet at the Fountain of Fame, which shoots a jet 150 feet in the air.

— andrew ferren, WSJ, "How to Spend an Indulgent Day in Madrid for $2,400—or $400," 13 June 2018
On agonizing cue, Story lined a crisp, sinking single to left.

— bryce miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "No-hitter wait continues for Padres fans after near-miss from Lyles," 15 May 2018
The result is a unique take on the varietal, light and crisp, but with strong vanilla and oak hints.

— chris morris, Fortune, "5 Tequilas To Try on Cinco de Mayo," 4 May 2018
Use a fork to turn over the cutlets (tongs may dislodge the breading); cook until the meat feels firm and the second side is deep golden brown and crisp, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, reducing the heat as needed to keep the breading from burning.

— becky krystal, charlotteobserver, "Breaded chicken cutlets that can go in (or on) just about anything | Charlotte Observer," 1 May 2018
There are comparisons to be made to Hall & Oates, with the careful soul homage harmonies, and even to bands like Cake that specialized in a tight, crisp, winking, allusive style.

— john adamian, courant.com, "Lake Street Dive To Perform At College Street," 28 Apr. 2018
Brush potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, then broil on top rack until deep golden brown and crisp, 4 to 7 minutes.

— the good housekeeping test kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Caper Gremolata," 24 Apr. 2018
Made with a dough devised by Heller, one of the city’s top bread bakers, the pizzas are thin but not too crisp, blackened in spots without tasting charred, and irregularly shaped on the edges, looking like small islands.

— todd a. price, NOLA.com, "Echo's Pizza in Mid-City delivers delicious simplicity: First look review," 24 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crisp.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of crisp

Middle English, from Old English, from Latin crispus; akin to Welsh crych curly

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

crisp Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of crisp

fragile, frangible, brittle, crisp, friable mean breaking easily. fragile implies extreme delicacy of material or construction and need for careful handling.

- a fragile antique chair

frangible implies susceptibility to being broken without implying weakness or delicacy.

- frangible stone used for paving

brittle implies hardness together with lack of elasticity or flexibility or toughness.

- brittle bones

crisp implies a firmness and brittleness desirable especially in some foods.

- crisp lettuce

friable applies to substances that are easily crumbled or pulverized.

- friable soil

crisp

verb

Definition of crisp

crisped; crisping; crisps

transitive verb

1 : curl, crimp

2 : to cause to ripple : wrinkle

3 : to make or keep crisp

intransitive verb

1 : curl

2 : ripple

3 : to become crisp

See crisp defined for English-language learners

Examples of crisp in a Sentence

Crisp the celery in ice water.

Recent Examples of crisp from the Web

The polpo appetizer starred sous vide octopus cooked to perfect tenderness, then crisped with a faintly sweet glaze and perched on a pool of ink with cheesy little gnocchi.

— kate washington, sacbee, "If Allora can learn to relax a little, it will be one of the city's best restaurants | The Sacramento Bee," 11 May 2018
Bendy carrots will straighten right up, lettuce will crisp, and limp broccoli will find its strength again.

— special to the plain dealer, cleveland.com, "Don't waste it: How to revive food that is stale, burned, over-salted," 18 Apr. 2018
Meanwhile, pop the bread into the oven to warm it briefly and crisp the crust, 5 to 10 minutes.

— jeanmarie brownson, chicagotribune.com, "Perfect roast chicken for the perfect chicken sandwich," 2 Apr. 2018
Once the rice is evenly browned and crisped, remove from heat.

— alison roman, The Cut, "Forget Engagement Chicken. Meet Breakup Steak.," 6 June 2018
They are roasted with the cauliflower, turning floppy and very sweet — sweeter even than the cauliflower, which softens and crisps at the corners.

— melissa clark, New York Times, "Mac and Cheese Eats Its Vegetables," 2 Mar. 2018
Spread fries in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake, flipping halfway through, until browned and crisped, 25-30 minutes.

— jennifer day, sacbee, "What’s the best fake frying method, oven or air-fryer? | The Sacramento Bee," 24 Apr. 2018
Spread potatoes out in a large cast-iron skillet or on two rimmed baking sheets (give them plenty of room to crisp up).

— kim sunée, Anchorage Daily News, "Here’s how to turn regular potatoes into something splendid," 19 Apr. 2018
Area chefs and restaurants crisped up their best bacon creations for Bacon Bash at the Royal Oak Farmers Market.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Clinton Township's Crazy Gringo taco dish sizzles as the winner at Bacon Bash," 8 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of crisp

14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

crisp

noun

Definition of crisp

1 a : something crisp or brittle

burned to a crisp

rye crisps

b chiefly British : potato chip —usually used in plural

2 : a baked dessert of fruit with crumb topping

apple crisp

See crisp defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of crisp from the Web

Grease a 1 ½- to 2-quart baking dish or make individual crisps using ramekins.

— susan selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Rhubarb: How to cook, store, freeze the perfect pie plant," 29 May 2018
The daily list of sweets happened to include a mixed berry crisp during a recent dinner visit.

— lindsey mcclave, The Courier-Journal, "For breakfast (or any other meal) you can't go wrong at North End Cafe," 23 May 2018
Brett Hutto reached on an infield single to start the fourth, but he was erased on a crisp throw down to second by Mills.

— robert avery, Houston Chronicle, "Yankees finish 14-0 record with Mustang City Championship," 22 May 2018
Her dish: Papaya clafoutis with a spicy white chocolate cookie crisp, lingonberry-strawberry compote and lingongerry Greek yogurt.

— debora britz, azcentral, "Joy Bus Diner chef wins 10K on 'Chopped,' brings attention to Phoenix cause," 28 Mar. 2018
During a live reading of the series finale in Los Angeles on Thursday, Washington wore a sequined crop top and crisp, flared white trousers.

— jordan amchin, Vanities, "Week in Fashion: Kerry Washington Kept Olivia Pope Stylish Until the Very End," 20 Apr. 2018
But the clear winner is pastry chef Katie Hamilburg’s baba au rhum, a boozy little cake that arrives in a pool of caramel with bananas and a granola-esque crisp.

— devra first, BostonGlobe.com, "Dinner in an almost classical mode, at Mooncusser Fish House," 9 Apr. 2018
Desserts include a warm chocolate brownie and warm apple crisp.

— donald liebenson, Lake County News-Sun, "Greenwood in Highwood: Suburban hang with a city vibe," 4 Apr. 2018
Highlights include Israeli eggs, made with a sunny side up egg, feta cheese, cilantro, rice and a toast crisp, and Frankfurt skillet cakes, which are fluffy, iron skillet-baked pancakes.

— grace wong, chicagotribune.com, "Longacre Dining Room opens in Uptown, plus more restaurant news," 19 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of crisp

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

CRISP Defined for English Language Learners

crisp

adjective

Definition of crisp for English Language Learners

: dry, hard, and easily broken
: pleasantly firm and making a sharp sound when chewed or crushed
: clean, smooth, and somewhat stiff

crisp

verb

Definition of crisp for English Language Learners

: to make (something) crisp or to become crisp

crisp

noun

Definition of crisp for English Language Learners

: a thin, hard, and usually salty piece of food
: a dessert made of cooked fruit with a sweet, dry topping

CRISP Defined for Kids

crisp

adjective \ ˈkrisp \

Definition of crisp for Students

crisper; crispest

1 : being thin, hard, and easily crumbled

crisp potato chips

2 : pleasantly firm and fresh

crisp celery

3 : being clear and brief

a crisp reply

4 : pleasantly cool and invigorating : brisk

a crisp autumn day

5 : having clear details

a crisp photo

—

crisply

adverb

—

crispness

noun

crisp

verb

Definition of crisp for Students

crisped; crisping

: to make or keep something crispy or fresh

Learn More about crisp

See words that rhyme with crisp Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for crisp Spanish Central: Translation of crisp Nglish: Translation of crisp for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of crisp for Arabic speakers

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crisp

Definition of crisp

crisply

crispness

Examples of crisp in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of crisp

crisp Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of crisp

crisp

Definition of crisp

Examples of crisp in a Sentence

Recent Examples of crisp from the Web

First Known Use of crisp

crisp

Definition of crisp

Recent Examples of crisp from the Web

First Known Use of crisp

Other Food Terms

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Related Phrases

CRISP Defined for English Language Learners

crisp

Definition of crisp for English Language Learners

crisp

Definition of crisp for English Language Learners

crisp

Definition of crisp for English Language Learners

CRISP Defined for Kids

crisp

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crispness

crisp

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