nippy

adjective

ˈni-pē How to pronounce nippy (audio)
Definition of nippynext
1
as in chilly
having a low or subnormal temperature bring a jacket, as it's a little nippy outside

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spicy
having a powerfully stimulating odor or flavor blue cheese is a little too nippy for my taste

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in brisk
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed racing around the neighborhood on a nippy scooter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in chilling
uncomfortably cool a nippy wind that chilled parade watchers to the bone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nippy According to computer models, the pull of the Red Planet may have altered the Earth's orbit until things got nippy. — New Atlas, 13 Jan. 2026 Crackling leaves and nippy mornings, early sunsets and football games. — Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025 Oscar Ortiz was particularly nippy down the left, Bertoni was highly energetic down the right, and Leopoldo Luque was a good foil for Kempes, scoring a spectacular long-range strike against France. — Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 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 See All Example Sentences for nippy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nippy
  1. chilly
  2. spicy
  3. brisk
  4. chilling
  5. cold
  6. pungent
  7. rapid
  8. chill
Adjective
  • On a chilly afternoon in March 2018, two people were found slumped on a bench in an outdoor shopping complex in the city’s center.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
  • Warm, soft, and timeless, this full-zip hoodie is perfect for wearing on a chilly plane, then tossing in a suitcase after the flight.
    — Kaitlin Gates, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2026
Definition of chilly
Adjective
  • Avoid heating up the kitchen by having a barbecue outside instead and marinating your kebabs in a spicy marinade.
    — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 13 July 2026
  • The mango papaya salad wakes the table up quickly with spicy chili ginger cashew, watermelon radish, peanuts, and Thai basil.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
Definition of spicy
Adjective
  • The vineyard is the site of a Christmas tree farm, and tends to be crisp and brisk, like the resulting wines.
    — Laura Ness, Mercury News, 5 July 2026
  • There are brisk 7am forest walks, group yoga, breath work, and a class on Lanserhof healing exercises, which combine stretching, tapping, and movement.
    — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026
Definition of brisk
Adjective
  • Made-from-scratch cheesecake doesn’t seem so hard when made as cupcakes where there’s no water bath, springform pan, and long chilling time required.
    — Brennan Long, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
  • Bell on Wednesday reaffirmed his support for Florida’s institutional neutrality policies, which discourages university leaders from taking official positions on political issues in an effort to avoid chilling debate among students and faculty.
    — Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Definition of chilling
Adjective
  • Keep your ride clean Over the life of owning a car, especially in colder areas, salt and road grime can dull paint and cause rust on the underbody of your vehicles, according to Consumer Reports.
    — Keith Laing, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • The clinical home ecosystem has become the defining phrase of the 2025 to 2026 wellness spending cycle, as buyers stack cold plunges, red light beds and neurotech into serious at-home recovery setups.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • Due to the materials and adhesives present, the smell ​at the scene ⁠was pungent, causing eye irritation, CCTV said.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 9 July 2026
  • The club is located in Lancaster County, surrounded by chicken and dairy farms that give off a pungent odor of fermenting feed and manure.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
Definition of pungent
Adjective
  • Prices are subject to rapid, unpredictable changes due to factors like, but not limited to, supply/demand, weather, and geopolitical events.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 8 July 2026
  • This all comes amid rapid technological, social and economic change in China.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
Definition of rapid
Adjective
  • The 25, also non-chill filtered, is bottled at 47 percent ABV (94 proof), and that higher proof goes a long way to unlocking the flavor here.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 24 June 2026
  • It was bottled at 43% ABV and is non-chill filtered.
    — David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of chill

Browse Nearby Words

nipping
nippy
nips
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nippy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nippy. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nippy

Nglish: Translation of nippy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of yaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All