crisper; crispest
1
a
: easily crumbled : brittle
a crisp cracker
b
: desirably firm and crunchy
crisp lettuce
2
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
: briskly cold
crisp winter weather
d
: deftly and powerfully executed
a crisp tennis serve
crisply
adverb
crispness
noun
plural crisps
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
crisped; crisping; crisps
Synonyms
Examples of crisp in a Sentence
Adjective
I put on a crisp shirt and tie.
The stereo's sound is crisp and clear.
Verb
Crisp the celery in ice water.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
Try spray starch: Ironing starch helps lock in a crisp finish.
—Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Choose a hallmark—like rhinestones, bandanas, or double denim—and then pair it with something unexpected such as an oversized T-shirt dress or a crisp button-down.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 3 Apr. 2024
Trott liked to frog-march around the harbor with his crisp leather ledger tucked under his arm, all-important.
—Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Segel sported a classic three-piece tuxedo with a crisp white shirt, black bowtie and black shoes.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
Users who prioritize sharp text quality: Brother lasers excel in producing crisp, professional-looking text documents.
—Nilay Patel, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024
The welcome surprise: broccoli was crisp and green.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The crisp leather bustier is the center of the look and it’s paired with a brown lengthy dress.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 1 Apr. 2024
Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 11 Jan. 2024
Our indefatigable Deputy Food Editor Betty Hallock has a great feature this week on Jing Gao, founder of Fly by Jing, the condiment company known for its Sichuan chili crisp.
Gao, who once lived in the corporate world as a product manager at Procter & Gamble, founded her company in 2019.
—Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Made fresh several times a week, the Student Kiss is a praline mixture consisting of truffle-nougat-noisette cream on a fine wafer crisp and then covered with dark chocolate.
—Yolanda Evans, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024
Spicy Sesame Chile Oil Noodles Noodles and chili crisp are a dynamic duo.
—Anna Rodriguez, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
Topped with tortilla crisps, this taco is refreshing and has a nice crunch.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2024
Goldfish crisps will hit retailers starting in January 2024
The Goldfish brand is taking on the potato chip world.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 6 Dec. 2023
Sargent loved color, satin, and silk, too, and favored crisp, rustling taffeta.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024
The ingredient list included oranges, red cabbage, almonds, wonton crisps, and sliced chicken nuggets on a bed of lettuce drizzled with Honey Sesame Dressing.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2024
Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024
Hard-boiled, poached or even baked egg bites don’t rely on as much oil or butter to crisp up the egg.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024
These can be prepared in 35 minutes with broiling for a few minutes at the end to crisp the bacon.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024
Try pressing it and crisping it up in a pan or air fryer or use it in a miso soup.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024
To keep them intact, the dough is simply poured and nudged into a pan with a wading pool of olive oil that will crisp the bottom and edges.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023
Flip again, if needed, to crisp and brown the skin.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024
Gochujang Chicken Thigh Skewers Buying skin-on, bone-in thighs and deboning them for this recipe is worth it for the skin, which crisps deliciously on the grill.
—Ian Knauer, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2024
There’s the fragrance of mangoes ripening in Lamu Town’s friendly market, cutting through the scent of crisping samosas and salty sea air.
—Jeffrey Gettleman, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2023
Adjective
The crisp transitions and jolting vocal layering are some of her best.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
Try spray starch: Ironing starch helps lock in a crisp finish.
—Helen Carefoot, Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2024
Choose a hallmark—like rhinestones, bandanas, or double denim—and then pair it with something unexpected such as an oversized T-shirt dress or a crisp button-down.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 3 Apr. 2024
Trott liked to frog-march around the harbor with his crisp leather ledger tucked under his arm, all-important.
—Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Segel sported a classic three-piece tuxedo with a crisp white shirt, black bowtie and black shoes.
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 2 Apr. 2024
Users who prioritize sharp text quality: Brother lasers excel in producing crisp, professional-looking text documents.
—Nilay Patel, The Verge, 2 Apr. 2024
The welcome surprise: broccoli was crisp and green.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2024
The crisp leather bustier is the center of the look and it’s paired with a brown lengthy dress.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 1 Apr. 2024
Noun
Adam Potter, 28, found the 4.72-inch crisp while having a snack at home in Birmingham.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 11 Jan. 2024
Our indefatigable Deputy Food Editor Betty Hallock has a great feature this week on Jing Gao, founder of Fly by Jing, the condiment company known for its Sichuan chili crisp.
Gao, who once lived in the corporate world as a product manager at Procter & Gamble, founded her company in 2019.
—Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2023
Made fresh several times a week, the Student Kiss is a praline mixture consisting of truffle-nougat-noisette cream on a fine wafer crisp and then covered with dark chocolate.
—Yolanda Evans, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024
Spicy Sesame Chile Oil Noodles Noodles and chili crisp are a dynamic duo.
—Anna Rodriguez, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024
Topped with tortilla crisps, this taco is refreshing and has a nice crunch.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2024
Goldfish crisps will hit retailers starting in January 2024
The Goldfish brand is taking on the potato chip world.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 6 Dec. 2023
Sargent loved color, satin, and silk, too, and favored crisp, rustling taffeta.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024
The ingredient list included oranges, red cabbage, almonds, wonton crisps, and sliced chicken nuggets on a bed of lettuce drizzled with Honey Sesame Dressing.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2024
Verb
Bake cookies about 11-13 minutes or until the edges begin to crisp.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024
Hard-boiled, poached or even baked egg bites don’t rely on as much oil or butter to crisp up the egg.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2024
These can be prepared in 35 minutes with broiling for a few minutes at the end to crisp the bacon.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2024
Try pressing it and crisping it up in a pan or air fryer or use it in a miso soup.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024
To keep them intact, the dough is simply poured and nudged into a pan with a wading pool of olive oil that will crisp the bottom and edges.
—Genevieve Ko, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023
Flip again, if needed, to crisp and brown the skin.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024
Gochujang Chicken Thigh Skewers Buying skin-on, bone-in thighs and deboning them for this recipe is worth it for the skin, which crisps deliciously on the grill.
—Ian Knauer, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2024
There’s the fragrance of mangoes ripening in Lamu Town’s friendly market, cutting through the scent of crisping samosas and salty sea air.
—Jeffrey Gettleman, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crisp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, from Old English, from Latin crispus; akin to Welsh crych curly
First Known Use
Adjective
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Noun
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Time Traveler
The first known use of crisp was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing crisp
Dictionary Entries Near crisp
Cite this Entry
“Crisp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crisp. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
crisp
1 of 3 adjective1
a
: being thin and hard and easily crumbled
crisp crackers
b
: pleasantly firm and crunchy
crisp lettuce
2
a
: having sharp distinct outlines
a crisp illustration
b
: being clear and brief
a crisp reply
c
: fresh and neat
a crisp housedress
d
: being quick and lively
a crisp performance
a crisp tale of adventure
3
: pleasantly cool and invigorating
a crisp autumn day
crisply
adverb
crispness
noun
crisp
2 of 3 verb
: to make or become crisp
crisper
noun
crisp
3 of 3 noun
: something crisp or brittle
burned to a crisp
More from Merriam-Webster on crisp
Nglish: Translation of crisp for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of crisp for Arabic Speakers
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