zip

1 of 7

verb (1)

ˈzip 

zipped; zipping; zips

intransitive verb

1

: to move, act, or function with speed and vigor

2

: to travel with a sharp hissing or humming sound

transitive verb

1

: to impart speed or force to

2

: to add zest, interest, or life to

—often used with up

3

: to transport or propel with speed

zip

2 of 7

noun (1)

1

: a sudden sharp hissing or sibilant sound

2

: energy, vim

zipless

ˈzip-ləs 

adjective

zip

3 of 7

noun (2)

: nothing, zero

the final score was 27 to zip

zip

4 of 7

noun (3)

chiefly British

: zipper

zip

5 of 7

verb (2)

zipped; zipping; zips

transitive verb

1

a

: to close or open with or as if with a zipper

b

: to enclose or wrap by fastening a zipper

2

: to cause (a zipper) to open or shut

intransitive verb

: to become open, closed, or attached by means of a zipper

zip

6 of 7

noun (4)

variants often ZIP

: zip code sense 1

zip

7 of 7

verb (3)

zipped; zipping; zips

transitive verb

: to compress (one or more computer files) to a smaller size or into a single file by removing redundant information

Zip the files before uploading them.

Synonyms of zip

Verb (1)

• hum
• buzz
• whisper

Noun (1)

• energy
• vigor
• juice
• gas
• drive
• pep
• dash
• punch
• life
• bounce
• zing
• beans

Noun (2)

• nothing
• zero

Examples of zip in a Sentence

Verb (1)

a dragonfly zipped by my ear

the fly zipped around the room, trying to find a way to the outside

knowing that she was already late, she went zipping off to meet her next client

Noun (1)

he has surprising zip for a man his age

Noun (2)

I've got zip as far as new ideas go

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Armed with artificial lights, Marco sat his sister at a desk across from a golden cryostat, which her colleagues use to freeze detectors to temperatures colder than the vacuum of space to hunt for subatomic particles zipping by. —Zack Savitsky, Quanta Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026

This one came after Delanie Sheehan penetrated the defense and zipped an effective pass to Ryan, who put the shot on net, but MacIver deflected it out of bounds. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 Mar. 2026

Noun

In addition to enjoying high-octane activities such as hiking, zip-lining, rock climbing, water skiing, and fitness and dance classes, guests can also focus on finding their zen with low-impact pastimes like yoga, wine-and-paint classes or reading by the lake. —Robin Roenker, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026

Styles include men’s carpenter jeans and shorts, a zip-up racing jacket, women’s star-print jeans and jacket and cutoff shorts. —Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

imitative of the sound of a speeding object

Noun (2)

origin unknown

Verb (2)

back-formation from zipper entry 1

Verb (3)

from zip file

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1852, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1925, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1925, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (4)

1962, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1989, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing zip

• zip code
• zip fastener
• zip file
• zip gun
• zip it
• zip line
• zip one's lip
• zip tie
• zip up

Rhymes for zip

• blip
• chip
• clip
• dip
• drip
• flip
• grip
• grippe
• hip
• ip
• kip
• lip

Kids Definition

zip

1 of 5 verb

ˈzip 

zipped; zipping

1

: to move or act with speed and energy

2

: to travel with a sharp hissing or humming sound

3

: to add energy, interest, or life to

—often used with up

zip

2 of 5 noun

1

: a sudden sharp hissing sound

2

: vim, energy

zip

3 of 5 verb

zipped; zipping

: to close or open with a zipper

zip

4 of 5 noun

: zero entry 1 sense 1

won the game 7–zip

zip

5 of 5 noun

often capitalized Z&I&P

: zip code

Etymology

Verb

a word created to imitate the sound of an object speeding past

Verb

from zipper

Noun

origin unknown