fillip

1 of 2

verb

fil·​lip ˈfi-ləp 

filliped; filliping; fillips

transitive verb

1

a

: to make a filliping motion with

b

: to strike or tap with a fillip

filliped him on the nose

2

: to project quickly by or as if by a fillip

fillip crumbs off the table

3

: stimulate

with this to fillip his spirits

—Robert Westerby

fillip

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: a blow or gesture made by the sudden forcible straightening of a finger curled up against the thumb

b

: a short sharp blow : buffet

2

: something tending to arouse or excite: such as

a

: stimulus

just the fillip my confidence needed

lent a fillip of danger to the sport

b

: a trivial addition : embellishment

showy fillips of language

c

: a significant and often unexpected development : wrinkle

plot twists and fillips

Did you know?

Like flip and flick, fillip is considered a phonetic imitation of the sharp release of a curled-up finger aimed to strike something. Language history suggests that people were filliping in the 15th-century, well before they were flipping and flicking. Specifically, fillip describes a strike or gesture made by the sudden straightening of a finger curled up against the thumb—a motion commonly referred to as a flick. It didn't take long before the sensational stinging smartness of filliping was extended to figurative use. "I mark this in our old Mogul's wine; it's quite as deadening to some as filliping to others," observes Herman Melville's Dutch sailor of wine's "stimulating" effect in Moby Dick.

Synonyms

Verb

• amp (up)
• animate
• brace
• energize
• enliven
• fire
• ginger (up)
• invigorate
• jazz (up)
• juice up
• jump-start
• liven (up)
• pep (up)
• quicken
• spike
• stimulate
• vitalize
• vivify
• zip (up)

Noun

• bang
• bash
• bat
• beat
• belt
• biff
• blow
• bop
• box
• buffet
• bust
• chop
• clap
• clip
• clout
• crack
• cuff
• dab
• douse [British]
• hack
• haymaker
• hit
• hook
• knock
• larrup [dialect]
• lash
• lick
• pelt
• pick
• plump
• poke
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slug
• smack
• smash
• sock
• spank
• stinger
• stripe
• stroke
• swat
• swipe
• switch
• thud
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• welt
• whack
• wham
• whop
• whap

Examples of fillip in a Sentence

Verb

used a splash of orange-flavored liqueur to fillip the otherwise ordinary cranberry sauce

Noun

a structural fillip that will add much to the appearance of the building

lent a fillip of danger to the sport

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hama, Syria’s fourth-largest city, might represent an even more significant fillip than the sudden capture last week of Aleppo — the country’s most populous city — in the civil war's most significant offensive in years and one that could dramatically shift the balance of the country's conflict. —David Hodari, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2024

The budget also gives a fillip to roads, railways, and oil and gas—core infrastructure sectors in dire need of modernization. —Milan Vaishnav, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2016

No doubt recipients will spend these monies quickly and provide an immediate fillip to consumer spending. —Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2024

Cinema box office in China this year is lagging some 22% below 2023 levels and cinema operators could do with a fillip from a familiar and mass-market franchise. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably of imitative origin

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1519, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

fillip

noun

fil·​lip

ˈfil-əp

: a feature added to attract interest