1
as in chilly
having a low or subnormal temperature
bring a jacket, as it's a little nippy outside
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spicy
having a powerfully stimulating odor or flavor
blue cheese is a little too nippy for my taste
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3
as in brisk
moving, proceeding, or acting with great speed
racing around the neighborhood on a nippy scooter
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4
as in chilling
uncomfortably cool
a nippy wind that chilled parade watchers to the bone
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nippy
Oscar Ortiz was particularly nippy down the left, Bertoni was highly energetic down the right, and Leopoldo Luque was a good foil for Kempes, scoring a spectacular long-range strike against France.
—
Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
The Lost Valley is home to a simulated dinosaur chase through a jungle as well as a nippy roller coaster which heads out into the desert.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Despite the nippy wind by the lake, Montrose Beach had a busy Sunday: families gathered on picnic blankets to celebrate Mother’s Day, and seagulls, killdeer and red-winged blackbirds scoured for food among the waves that washed ashore.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for nippy
Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
The Lost Valley is home to a simulated dinosaur chase through a jungle as well as a nippy roller coaster which heads out into the desert.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Despite the nippy wind by the lake, Montrose Beach had a busy Sunday: families gathered on picnic blankets to celebrate Mother’s Day, and seagulls, killdeer and red-winged blackbirds scoured for food among the waves that washed ashore.
—Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 12 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for nippy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nippy
Adjective
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This soft, lightweight throw is an easy comfort to keep on a classroom chair for chilly mornings or to use at home after a long day.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
There's a lot to talk about as chilly weather has moved in.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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The company makes pickles in flavors such as hot, half-sour and sweet and spicy.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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It’s finished in a spicy-sweet sauce that would make a rubber tire taste good.—
Nina Moskowitz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Two batters into the top of the sixth, a sudden, aggressive rain began pouring down on Citizens Bank Park, prompting a brisk 24-minute delay.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
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When the news came that a horse had scratched, a great stir rose, and several of the groomsmen who were sitting in the stalls with their horse wards scurried to start their brisk brushing to get the pine shavings off and used their jute sacks to spit-shine the coats slick.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Advocates see it as a way to send a chilling message to immigrant communities and make more people vulnerable to deportation.—
Rebecca Santana,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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But the reality of the series is more chilling.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the death penalty, cold case investigations and breaking news for USA TODAY.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
In Milan, Pietrantoni had just worked with a design studio on an installation with cold lighting, which was drawing interested crowds.—
Adriane Quinlan,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Good cotija is hard, dry, salty and pungent, with the kind of bold, assertive personality that adds flavor to any dish.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
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The seeds of love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) are not as pungent as those of black cumin, but its parasol flowers are more ornamental, appearing mostly in baby blue but also in royal blue, rose, and white.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Even more troubling, predatory supplement companies target youth with deceptive claims about the safety and efficacy of these products, claiming users will lose a rapid amount of weight or achieve a perfect body.—
Jad Abdel Nour,
Hartford Courant,
4 May 2026
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Innovation is the driving force behind societal progress, with rapid advancements occurring at a faster pace than ever before in human history.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Things were generally chill for the next seven months — or at least status quo, meaning Kimmel would regularly bash the president and Republicans would regularly bash Kimmel.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Meals are usually chill, and potluck-style.—
Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nippy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nippy. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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