zest

The thin coloured outer skin of a lemon, orange, or similar fruit, used to add flavour.

• Add some lemon zest.
• She mixed orange zest into the cake batter.
• The recipe calls for the zest of two limes.

Similar words: peel, rind

Common phrases: lemon zest, grated zest, orange zest

Strong energy and excitement about doing things and enjoying life.

• She works with real zest.
• His zest for life inspired his friends.
• The children approached every new activity with zest.

How to use it: zest for something (Travelling gave her a new zest for life.)

Similar words: enthusiasm, gusto, relish

Opposites: apathy

Common phrases: zest for life, with great zest, renewed zest

A strong, fresh, or exciting taste that makes food more enjoyable.

• The sauce needs more zest.
• A little chilli adds zest to this soup.
• Fresh ginger gave the dish a welcome zest.

How to use it: add zest to something (Fresh herbs add zest to the sauce.)

Similar words: zing, piquancy

Opposites: blandness

Common phrases: add zest, extra zest, zest to something

Lively energy in the way music is played or sung.

• The band played with zest.
• Her singing brought zest to the final chorus.
• The performance lacked the zest of their earlier concerts.

Similar words: energy, vigour, liveliness

Opposites: listlessness

Common phrases: play with zest, sing with zest, musical zest

To scrape or grate the thin coloured outer skin from a lemon, orange, or similar fruit.

• Zest the lemon first.
• She zested two oranges for the cake.
• Have you zested the lime before squeezing it?

Common phrases: zest a lemon, zest an orange, zest the lime