Nip — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Meaning & Definition of Nip

Nip (verb)

to catch hold of and squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points, pinch, bite
to pinch in (a garment)
to sever by or as if by pinching sharply
to take liquor in nips, tipple

Nip (noun)

something that nips
a sharp biting comment
a sharp stinging cold
a small quantity of liquor, sip; also, a very small bottle of liquor

Nip (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

the quality or state of being stimulating to the mind or senses

"the barbecue sauce has a nip to it that balances out the sweetness"

similar: piquancy, pungency, spice, tang, zest, zing

related: raciness, spiciness, fieriness, hotness, acuteness, keenness, sharpness, provocativeness, excitement, invigoration, stimulant, stimulation, stimulus, thrill, bitterness, mordancy, trenchancy, flavor, redolence, savor, savoriness, tastiness

opposite: insipidity

near: flatness, tastelessness, dullness, insipidity, monotonousness, monotony, platitude, predictability, sameness, tediousness, blandness, thinness, weakness
a very small amount

"I'll have just a nip of your sandwich"

similar: ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket

related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving

near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab
an uncomfortable degree of coolness

"there's a nip in the air today"

similar: bite, bitterness, bleakness, chill, chilliness, nippiness, rawness, sharpness

related: briskness, crispness, coldness, frigidity, frigidness, frostiness, gelidity, iciness, wintriness, cold, freeze, snap

near: balminess, warmness, warmth, heat, hotness, sultriness
the portion of a serving of a beverage that is swallowed at one time

"give me just a nip of milk to help me swallow this pill"

similar: belt, draft, drag, drink, gulp, quaff, shot, sip, slug, snort, sup, swallow, swig, swill

related: dram, drop

Nip (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument

"I'm just going to nip these hedges, and then I'll be done with the work outside"

similar: bob, clip, crop, cut, cut back, dock, lop (off), pare, poll, prune, shave, shear, snip, trim

related: skive, whittle, manicure, mow, pinch, stump, curtail, shorten

near: elongate, extend, lengthen
to squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points

"the puppy nipped her hand while playing"

similar: pinch

related: crimp, tweak, clasp, clutch, grasp, grip, hold, take

near: drop, free, loose, loosen, release, spring
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep

"that guy nipped my wallet from the restaurant table when I turned away"

similar: appropriate, boost (slang), filch, heist, hook, lift, misappropriate, nick (British slang), pilfer, pinch, pocket, purloin, rip off, snitch, steal, swipe, thieve, make away with, make off with, run off with, walk off with

related: burglarize, knock over, rob, loot, pillage, plunder, sack, carjack, hijack, pick, rifle, poach, rustle, shoplift, collar, grab, grasp, nail, seize, snatch, take, mooch, sponge, abduct, kidnap, shanghai, spirit

near: buy, purchase, bestow, contribute, donate, give, hand over, present
to proceed or move quickly

"I'll just nip off to the corner store for some milk"

similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb (slang), bowl, breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, get a move on, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it

related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline

opposite: crawl, creep, poke

near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Related Entry: Nip and tuck (adjective)

Nip and tuck is a different word from Nip. The synonyms below are for nip and tuck, not for nip.

showing little difference in the standing of the competitors

"the race was nip and tuck to the very end, with the judges needing to look at photos of the finish three times"

similar: close, down-to-the-wire, hairbreadth, narrow, neck and neck, tight

related: crowded

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Nip

The most common words with a similar meaning to Nip:

Slang: boost, bomb

British slang: nick

piquancy, pungency, spice, tang, zest, zing, ace, bit, crumb, dab, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Nip

Words with the opposite meaning of Nip:

insipidity, crawl, creep, poke

Related Words for Nip

Near Antonyms of Nip

flatness, tastelessness, dullness, monotonousness, monotony, platitude, predictability, sameness, tediousness, blandness, thinness, weakness, abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles

Word Forms of Nip

Inflections: nipped, nipping

Origin & Etymology of Nip

Middle English nippen; akin to Middle Dutch nipen to pinch, Old Norse hnippa to prod

First known use: 15th centuryt

Words & Phrases Containing Nip

nip and tuck, nip slip, nip-up, nip off, nip (something) in the bud

Frequently Asked Questions about Nip

What does "Nip" mean?

"Nip" means to catch hold of and squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points, pinch, bite. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to catch hold of and squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points, pinch, bite. It has 8 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Nip"?

Other words for "Nip" include piquancy, pungency, spice, tang, zest, zing, ace and bit. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Nip" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Nip"?

There are 299 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Nip". Common alternatives include piquancy, pungency, spice, tang, zest, zing, ace, bit, crumb and dab.

What is a slang word for "Nip"?

Slang words for "Nip" include boost, bomb and nick.

What is the opposite of "Nip"?

Antonyms of "Nip" include insipidity, crawl, creep and poke. Near antonyms include flatness, tastelessness, dullness and monotonousness.

How do you use "Nip" in a sentence?

Examples of "Nip" in a sentence: "the barbecue sauce has a nip to it that balances out the sweetness"; "I'll have just a nip of your sandwich"; "there's a nip in the air today".

Is "Nip" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Nip" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Nip"?

"Nip" is pronounced /ˈnip/.