zest B2 Topic:General Vocabulary US /zɛst/ UK /zɛst/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun great enthusiasm and energy She tackled the project with zest. 2 noun the outer colored part of the peel of citrus fruits, used as flavoring Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the recipe. 3 noun an exciting or stimulating quality Travel adds a certain zest to life. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · great enthusiasm and energy gustopassionzealfervoreagerness 2 noun · the outer colored part of... rindpeelskin 3 noun · an exciting or stimulating... spiceexcitementthrillkickbuzz ↔ Opposites apathyindifferenceboredom Appears in Phrases (1) See all lemon zest the thin, aromatic outer peel of a lemon used for flavoring Noun + noun Etymology AI details From Old French zeste / French zeste (orange or lemon peel used as seasoning); modern English zest means both enthusiasm and the flavoring obtained from citrus peel. Topics General Vocabulary External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # zest **Type:** Word **Level:** B2 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /zɛst/ **IPA (UK):** /zɛst/ ## Meanings 1. great enthusiasm and energy 2. the outer colored part of the peel of citrus fruits, used as flavoring 3. an exciting or stimulating quality ## Examples - She tackled the project with zest. - Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the recipe. - Travel adds a certain zest to life. ## Synonyms - gusto - passion - zeal - fervor - eagerness - rind - peel - spice - excitement - thrill - kick - buzz ## Antonyms - apathy - indifference - boredom ## Etymology From Old French zeste / French zeste (orange or lemon peel used as seasoning); modern English zest means both enthusiasm and the flavoring obtained from citrus peel. ## AI Etymology Zest comes from Old French zeste / French zeste (orange or lemon peel used as seasoning); modern English zest means both enthusiasm and the flavoring obtained from citrus peel. In current use it is a noun meaning "great enthusiasm and energy". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is mainly one of transmission into English, with the older form and sense carried through borrowing or adaptation. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense. ## Topics - General Vocabulary markdown