1
as in chilly
having a low or subnormal temperature
bring a jacket, as it's a little nippy outside
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spicy
having a powerfully stimulating odor or flavor
blue cheese is a little too nippy for my taste
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brisk
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed
racing around the neighborhood on a nippy scooter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in chilling
uncomfortably cool
a nippy wind that chilled parade watchers to the bone
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nippy
This 400-year-old riverside Tudor in Lechlade-on-Thames dials up the British charm with sumptuous, velvet furnishings and a huge stone fireplace to combat the traditionally nippy weather.
—
Shannon Sharpe, Architectural Digest, 28 May 2025
Despite the nippy wind by the lake, Montrose Beach had a busy Sunday: families gathered on picnic blankets to celebrate Mother’s Day, and seagulls, killdeer and red-winged blackbirds scoured for food among the waves that washed ashore.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
With it, there’s no need to haul up a turtleneck or coat collar in the nippy wind or rain.
—Alexandra Pereira, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2025
Friday is when things will get nippy.
—Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 27 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nippy
Shannon Sharpe, Architectural Digest, 28 May 2025
Despite the nippy wind by the lake, Montrose Beach had a busy Sunday: families gathered on picnic blankets to celebrate Mother’s Day, and seagulls, killdeer and red-winged blackbirds scoured for food among the waves that washed ashore.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
With it, there’s no need to haul up a turtleneck or coat collar in the nippy wind or rain.
—Alexandra Pereira, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2025
Friday is when things will get nippy.
—Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 27 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for nippy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nippy
Adjective
-
Whether it's been a few days or a few years, a forkful of liver and onions will always deliver a dose of nostalgia—after all, this was the recipe so many Southern grandmas made to keep warm and fortified on an unseasonably chilly day.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The light wooden furniture, cosy space and Mediterranean menu offers a pleasant respite from the chilly damp of London’s winter.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Dishes range from approachable American classics like burgers, wings and pizzas to items with more international flair such as Korean rib eye, shiitake garlic noodles and spicy za’atar hummus.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
For a spicy kick, add Sriracha to the egg wash.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Faber and Rivera’s fight will be the main event for a brisk night of fights.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Ringing piano eighths gallop at a brisk mid-tempo, while percussive hits ring out in the distance.—
Dash Lewis,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This is a chilling history of a problem still ravaging significant swaths of America — not to mention elsewhere in the world.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Those words may be the most chilling of all.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Temperatures could repeatedly drop well below seasonal averages, with some cold snaps 20 to 30 degrees colder than normal, forecasts suggest.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
3 Feb. 2026
-
His family-run nursery specializes in growing cold-hardy citrus trees.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Most of us know licorice for its sweet, pungent flavor in candy and beverages—or, perhaps, as a soothing remedy for heartburn and tummy trouble.—
Beatrice Zocchi,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
-
No suspicious whine in the air, no burning of pungent oils to put off biters.—
Antonia Quirke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Across the city, mutual-aid and rapid-response networks are coordinating food, rides, childcare, rent assistance, and medical support so families can keep living without exposing themselves to risk.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Kindred, which owns both Orange County facilities, has refused to pay workers enough to avoid rapid turnover that has contributed to understaffing.—
Pat Maio,
Oc Register,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Pairing well with pizza, Piggy Pop is the perfect bottle for a ‘Netflix and chill’ Valentine’s date.—
Lanee Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The whiskey is non-chill filtered.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nippy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nippy. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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