nippy

adjective

nip·​py ˈni-pē How to pronounce nippy (audio)
nippier; nippiest
Synonyms of nippynext
1
: marked by a tendency to nip
a nippy dog
2
: brisk, quick, or nimble in movement : snappy
a nippy boat
nippy tennis players
3
: pungent, sharp
A mixed salad and a nippy potato salad.—Caryl Stern
4
: chilly
a nippy day
nippy breeze
nippily
ˈni-pə-lē How to pronounce nippy (audio)
adverb
nippiness
ˈni-pē-nəs How to pronounce nippy (audio)
noun

Synonyms of nippy

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Examples of nippy in a Sentence

bring a jacket, as it's a little nippy outside blue cheese is a little too nippy for my taste
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
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 Crackling leaves and nippy mornings, early sunsets and football games. — Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 20 Oct. 2025 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 But for the nippiest wind chill, that cold weather Sunday champ was Miami Dade College in West Kendall. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 2 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nippy

Word History

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nippy was in 1575

Rhymes for nippy

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Browse Nearby Words

Nippur
nippy
ni pri
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nippy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nippy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

nippy

adjective
nip·​py ˈnip-ē How to pronounce nippy (audio)
nippier; nippiest
1
: quick in movement : nimble, brisk
2
: having a biting flavor
3
: chilly sense 1

More from Merriam-Webster on nippy

Nglish: Translation of nippy for Spanish Speakers

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