What does “zest” mean?

zest


Oh, this is a nice one!

So "zest" originally means the outer skin of a fruit like a lemon or orange — the colorful, fragrant part you scrape off to add flavor to food. Like, "Add some lemon zest to the cake batter and it'll smell amazing."

But in everyday life, people use "zest" to mean a strong feeling of excitement and enjoyment — like you're really alive and loving what you're doing. If someone says "She has a real zest for life," it means she enjoys every moment and faces each day with energy and enthusiasm. You might also hear, "He approached the project with zest," meaning he threw himself into it with passion and joy.

Both meanings have that same idea — zest adds something extra, something bright and lively, to whatever it touches.

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