*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of zing

Of onomatopoeic origin.

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
intj

A high pitched humming sound. · Used to acknowledge a witty comeback, a zinger.

noun

A short high-pitched humming sound, such as that made by a bullet or vibrating string. · A witty insult or derogatory remark. · Zest or vitality. · Pleasant or exciting flavour of food.

verb

To move very quickly, especially while making a high-pitched hum. · To address a witty insult or comeback to. · To make a zinging noise or sound.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Of onomatopoeic origin.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "nocap": "1"
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      "expansion": "onomatopoeic"
    }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "intj",
      "glosses": [
        "A high pitched humming sound.",
        "Used to acknowledge a witty comeback, a zinger."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "onomatopoeic",
        "US",
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      ],
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    },
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A short high-pitched humming sound, such as that made by a bullet or vibrating string.",
        "A witty insult or derogatory remark.",
        "Zest or vitality.",
        "Pleasant or exciting flavour of food."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable",
        "slang"
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      "recordId": "232a7c583ceb2e933f5edf5b3ef49ae2f2e6225bc7c797631577f3ece238c73e",
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 367504
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To move very quickly, especially while making a high-pitched hum.",
        "To address a witty insult or comeback to.",
        "To make a zinging noise or sound."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "slang",
        "transitive"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for zing →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-emluZw