Zest
n.joyful, energeticwarm
Meaning 1
Eager enjoyment and lively interest.
Reach for it when praising engaged enthusiasm for an activity or life
She approached the new course with real zest.
Choose between these
4- playful
when vigorous enjoyment is visible in how something is done
not when Gusto is more boisterous and can overwhelm a quiet form of zest.
- warm
when eager positive interest is the main quality
not when Enthusiasm can be expressed briefly, while zest suggests lively enjoyment in the activity.
- literary
appetite
when desire for experience can be expressed metaphorically
not when Appetite can sound acquisitive and does not guarantee joyful engagement.
- literary
when style and energetic flair deserve praise
not when Verve concerns spirited execution, not the underlying enjoyment itself.
Meaning 2
The fragrant colored outer peel of a citrus fruit, used to add flavor.
Reach for it when naming the culinary ingredient rather than citrus juice or bitter white pith
Orange zest brightened the warm grain salad.
Choose between these
4- playful
citrus shavings
when the physical cut should be described visually
not when Shavings can be thicker than zest and may include bitter pith.
- everyday
citrus peel
when the ingredient needs a clear general name
not when Citrus peel includes bitter white pith and larger strips, not only zest.
- everyday
rind
when the whole outer covering is meant
not when Rind is broader and can include pith or non-citrus fruit covering.
- professional
flavedo
when the colored outer citrus layer is meant botanically
not when Flavedo is technical and not a natural recipe substitute for zest.
Said against
4- apathy
- listlessness
- pith
- juice
It naturally appears in
4- zest for life
Her zest for life included quiet mornings as well as crowded dances.
- with zest
The students tackled the restoration with zest and patient supervision.
- lemon zest
Fresh lemon zest lifted the bean stew without more salt.
- finely grated zest
Finely grated zest released the orange's aroma through the cake.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English noun figurative sense: enthusiasm, energy, or enjoyment opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Wiktionary, English noun culinary sense: outer colored peel of citrus fruit opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.