zing

1 of 2

noun

ˈziŋ 

1

: a shrill humming noise

2

a

: an enjoyably exciting or stimulating quality : zest

really put some zing into this industry

—Erwin Fine

b

: a sharply piquant flavor

barbecue sauce with zing

zing

2 of 2

verb

zinged; zinging; zings

intransitive verb

1

: to make or move with a humming sound

2

: zip, speed

transitive verb

1

: to hit suddenly : zap

2

: to criticize in a pointed or witty manner

Synonyms

Noun

• beans
• bounce
• brio
• dash
• drive
• dynamism
• energy
• esprit
• gas
• get-up-and-go
• ginger
• go
• gusto
• hardihood
• juice
• life
• moxie
• oomph
• pep
• punch
• sap
• snap
• starch
• verve
• vigor
• vim
• vinegar
• vitality
• zip

Examples of zing in a Sentence

Noun

They needed to put some zing back into their relationship.

The chili peppers give the sauce a little extra zing.

Verb

The comics spent the evening cracking jokes and zinging each other.

His opponent has run television ads zinging him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Think chartreuse, a zing of hot pink, and even canary yellow. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2024

With the first spritz, a zing of spicy lime and aldehydic cilantro leaves (coriandre in French) set the stage for quieter crispy notes to peek through. —Bianca Salonga, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024

Verb

Watch the video to find out, and as a bonus, see who zings Danny Bronx and why. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 4 May 2023

The report also warns if your master password is weak and zings you for not using two-factor authentication. —PCMAG, 22 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1911, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

zing

noun

ˈziŋ

1

: a shrill humming sound

2

: a lively or energetic quality

a musical show with lots of zing