nippier; nippiest
1
: marked by a tendency to nip
a nippy dog
2
: brisk, quick, or nimble in movement : snappy
a nippy boat
nippy tennis players
4
: chilly
a nippy day
nippy breeze
Synonyms
Examples of nippy in a Sentence
bring a jacket, as it's a little nippy outside
blue cheese is a little too nippy for my taste
Recent Examples on the Web
Some of Mexico's best waves pound the breezy Baja Peninsula, but waters are quite nippy here in the winter months.
—
Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2023
Recall that President George W. Bush's nippy Scottish terrier Barney used to star in an annual Christmas video.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2022
What's best about the Perseids is that they can be enjoyed during summer's warmth, unlike the often nippy nights during the Leonids of November or Geminids of December.
—Carlie Procell, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2023
Dubbed the Glacier Trail, the new high-performance kicks can be worn in the arctic tundra, the nippy streets of the Big Apple, and beyond.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 7 July 2023
Think: a breezy pleated skirt with built in athletic shorts, a polo dress with pockets for holding tennis balls, and a cropped topper for match days on extra nippy mornings.
—Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 13 June 2023
Confidence: Medium-High Another nippy start Monday.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2023
Certainly nippy and damp!
—Washington Post, 28 May 2021
More sunshine, still nippy.
—Star Tribune, 5 Feb. 2021
See More
Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2023
Recall that President George W. Bush's nippy Scottish terrier Barney used to star in an annual Christmas video.
—Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2022
What's best about the Perseids is that they can be enjoyed during summer's warmth, unlike the often nippy nights during the Leonids of November or Geminids of December.
—Carlie Procell, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2023
Dubbed the Glacier Trail, the new high-performance kicks can be worn in the arctic tundra, the nippy streets of the Big Apple, and beyond.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 7 July 2023
Think: a breezy pleated skirt with built in athletic shorts, a polo dress with pockets for holding tennis balls, and a cropped topper for match days on extra nippy mornings.
—Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 13 June 2023
Confidence: Medium-High Another nippy start Monday.
—Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2023
Certainly nippy and damp!
—Washington Post, 28 May 2021
More sunshine, still nippy.
—Star Tribune, 5 Feb. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nippy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near nippy
Cite this Entry
“Nippy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nippy. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
nippy
adjective
nip·py
ˈnip-ē 
nippier; nippiest
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