nippy

[ nip-ee ]
See synonyms for nippy on Thesaurus.com
adjective,nip·pi·er, nip·pi·est.
  1. chilly or cold: morning air that feels a bit nippy.

  2. sharp or biting; tangy: This cheese has a good, nippy taste.

  1. Chiefly British Informal. nimble; agile.

Origin of nippy

1
First recorded in 1565–75; nip1 + -y1

Words Nearby nippy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nippy in a sentence

  • Even elderly ladies who looked with abhorrence upon the drinking habit were not denied their wee bit nippy.

    One Third Off | Irvin S. Cobb
  • He directed the men to help him onto his feet and soon came back with his old-fashioned nippy gait.

British Dictionary definitions for nippy

nippy

/ (ˈnɪpɪ) /


adjective-pier or -piest
  1. (of weather) chilly, keen, or frosty

  2. British informal

    • quick; nimble; active

    • (of a motor vehicle) small and relatively powerful

  1. (of the taste of food) biting, sharp, or pungent

  2. (of a dog) inclined to bite

Derived forms of nippy

  • nippily, adverb
  • nippiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012