Gusto
[GUS-toh]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Italian, 17th century
1.
Enjoyment or vigor in doing something; zest.
Examples of Gusto in a sentence
"We tore into the basket of fresh cherries with gusto."
"The guests ate with gusto, devouring plates of food as fast as we could serve them up."
About Gusto
“Gusto” entered English in the mid-1600s directly from the Italian “gusto,” meaning “taste.” The Italian word derives from the Latin “gustus,” also meaning taste.
Did you Know?
While “gusto” can refer to anything done with passionate enjoyment, the word is often associated with the act of eating, thanks to the Italian root word translating to “taste.” The words “gustatory,” meaning “concerned with tasting,” and “gustation,” meaning “tasting,” derive from the same root. However, the noun “gust,” describing a strong, brief wind, is taken from the Old Norse “gust,” meaning “gush,” rather than from the Latin for “taste.”
