crisp
/krɪsp/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Firm, dry, and easily broken or bitten. It often describes food, leaves, or cold air. It can also mean clear and clean in sound or appearance.
- These apples are sweet and crisp.
- The air felt crisp this morning.
- Her report was clear and crisp.
noun
A thin, flat, fried slice of potato, often eaten as a snack. In British English, this word usually means a potato chip.
- I bought a packet of crisps.
- Would you like another crisp?
- The crisps were very salty.
Adinary Nuance
Crisp is close to crunchy, fresh, and clean, but it is more exact. Use crisp for food that breaks neatly, for cold air, or for clear speech and writing. It sounds a little more polished than nice or fresh in these contexts.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- giòn
- Spanish
- crujiente
- Chinese
- 脆的
- Japanese
- パリッとした
- Korean
- 바삭한
Etymology
Crisp comes from Old French crisp and Latin crispus, meaning 'curled' or 'rough'. The word entered English in the Middle Ages and kept the idea of firmness and sharp texture.
Common phrases
crisp aircrisp baconcrisp linencrisp fall day
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is crisp the same as crunchy?
- Not exactly. Crispy things break easily, while crunchy things make a stronger sound when you bite them.
- Is crisp used for writing or speech?
- Yes. It means clear, neat, and not wordy.
- What is the British English meaning of crisps?
- It means thin fried potato slices. In American English, this is usually called chips.