informal
: a quality that makes something exciting, interesting, etc.
They needed to put some zing back into their relationship.
A brightly colored scarf can add zing [=interest] to any basic black outfit.
The chili peppers give the sauce a little extra zing.
zings; zinged; zinging
informal
1
: to move very quickly and make a humming sound
The bullets zinged [=zipped] past our ears.
2
US, informal
: to insult or criticize (someone) in a sharp, clever, or playful way
The comics spent the evening cracking jokes and zinging each other.
His opponent has run television ads zinging him.
Cite this Entry
“Zing.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/zing. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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