zest

noun

ˈzest 

1

: a piece of the peel of a citrus fruit (such as an orange or lemon) used as flavoring

2

: an enjoyably exciting quality : piquancy

adds zest to the performance

3

: keen enjoyment : relish, gusto

has a zest for living

zestful

ˈzest-fəl 

adjective

zestfully

ˈzest-fə-lē 

adverb

zestfulness noun

zestless

ˈzest-ləs 

adjective

Did you know?

When life hands you lemons, the saying goes, make lemonade. The message of this zingy aphorism is to take situations that are metaphorically sour and make them sweeter. You could do this by squeezing entire lemons to restore some excitement and enjoyment to your life, but you could also just take a little of the zest. Zest of course, refers to tiny pieces of citrus rind that are used to brighten, or enhance, the flavor of food and beverages. English speakers adopted the French word zest (zeste in modern French) in the late 1600s with this meaning, but it didn’t take long for them to spice up their language with an additional sense referring to any quality that adds enjoyment to something in the same way that the zest of a citrus fruit adds flavor to food. Later they extended the word to gusto—that is, enthusiastic enjoyment—itself, whether it be gustatory or not.

Synonyms

• nip
• piquancy
• pungency
• spice
• tang
• zing

Examples of zest in a Sentence

His humor added zest to the performance.

His humor added a certain zest to the performance.

The recipe calls for a tablespoon of lemon zest.

Recent Examples on the Web

From Ried Klaus, a vineyard first documented in 1437, there’s a distinct giveaway to its terroir: the aromas of meadow herbs, wildflowers, citrus zest, white peach, and delicate stone fruits. —Jill Barth, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

Fold in the crab, chives, lemon zest, celery, chile-shallot mixture, and mushrooms. —Lynn Derrick and Janelle Weaver, Saveur, 27 Nov. 2024

It’s designed to capture the essence of laying beach-side on the Mediterranean, with top notes of mint leaves, brown sugar, and Italian lemon zest, middle notes of jasmine, peony, pink pepper and a base of cedarwood and labdanum. —Anamaria Glavan, Allure, 22 Nov. 2024

From a vineyard named for the younger Catena sister, this White Stone Chardonnay has brilliant minerality and acidity from the high-altitude terroir and aromas of lemon zest, white flowers, crushed oyster shell, and ripe peach. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

obsolete French (now zeste), orange or lemon peel (used as flavoring)

First Known Use

circa 1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing zest

• zest for life

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Kids Definition

zest

noun

ˈzest 

1

: a piece of the peel of a citrus fruit (as an orange or lemon) used as a flavoring

2

: a quality that increases enjoyment

added zest to the performance

3

: keen enjoyment : relish

has a zest for life

zestful

-fəl 

adjective

zestfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

zestfulness noun

zesty

ˈzes-tē

adjective

Etymology

from obsolete French zest (now zeste) "orange or lemon peel used for flavoring"

Word Origin

Zest was borrowed into English in the 17th century from the French zest (now spelled zeste), meaning "an orange or lemon peel." Where the French got the word we do not know. The peels of oranges and lemons are sometimes used to add flavor to food and drinks. The earliest uses of zest in English refer to the peel of such fruit used in this way. By the early 18th century, however, zest had developed another meaning. It was used to refer to a quality that adds enjoyment to something, in the same way that the zest of an orange or lemon adds flavor to food.