sizzle

1 of 2

verb

siz·​zle ˈsi-zəl 

sizzled; sizzling ˈsi-zə-liŋ 

ˈsiz-liŋ

transitive verb

: to burn up or sear with or as if with a hissing sound

intransitive verb

1

: to make a hissing sound in or as if in burning or frying

2

: to seethe with deep anger or resentment

sizzle

2 of 2

noun

1

: a hissing sound (as of something frying over a fire)

2

: pizzazz, excitement

Synonyms of sizzle

Verb

• hiss

Noun

• whistle
• fizz
• zip
• hiss

Examples of sizzle in a Sentence

Verb

bacon sizzling in the pan

Their romance sizzled throughout the whole summer.

The book sizzles with excitement.

Noun

there was a brief sizzle as the moth flew into the flame

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The outdoor temperature might have registered as freezing, but the crowd of onlookers sizzled with excitement. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026

The garlic butter de Burgo arrives sizzling on a hotplate under a giant mushroom cap. — Susan Stapleton, Des Moines Register, 22 Sep. 2026

Noun

In essence, The Most Dangerous Games is a gamble that the product doesn’t matter as much as the brand, that consumers buy the sizzle, not the steak. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026

August's sizzle also helped push the globe and the United States to swelter through the hottest Northern Hemisphere summer scientists have measured. — ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps frequentative of siss to hiss

First Known Use

Verb

1603, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

circa 1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sizzle

• sizzle reel

Rhymes for sizzle

• chisel
• drizzle
• fizzle
• grizzle

Kids Definition

sizzle

verb

siz·​zle

ˈsiz-əl

sizzled; sizzling

-(ə-)liŋ

: to make a hissing sound in or as if in burning or frying

sizzle noun

sizzler

-(ə-)lər

noun