What does "zap" mean?
A sound made by a sudden release of electricity or some similar energy.
Zap
/zæp/ intj, name, noun, verb, slang
intj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A sound made by a sudden release of electricity or some similar energy.
- Grammar: zap is listed as intj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: arc, atomise, atomize, bam.
- Useful contrasts: calm, depression, drain.
- Usage evidence: Zap it in the microwave for thirty seconds.
How to use "zap"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "zap" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "zap" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "zap" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "zap" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "zap" is acting as intj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "arc" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "zap", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sound made by a sudden release of electricity or some similar energy. colloquial
- 2 a sudden event that imparts energy or excitement, usually with a dramatic impact wordnet
- 3 An electric shock. colloquial
"You might feel a little zap touching a metal doorknob when the air is dry."
- 4 A raucous public demonstration designed to embarrass a public figure or celebrity as a form of political activism.
"Black AIDS activists were caught in the middle of a nearly yearlong series of zaps."
- 5 The act of heating something in a microwave oven. slang
"The guest immediately asked the bartender to give his drink a zap in the microwave oven behind him […]"
Verb
- 1 To make a zap sound. intransitive
- 2 cook or heat in a microwave oven wordnet
- 3 To use a remote control to repeatedly fast-forward or change channels on a television.
- 4 strike at with firepower or bombs wordnet
- 5 To strike (something or someone) with electricity or energy, as by shooting.
"They spent the whole movie zapping bad guys into oblivion."
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 kill with or as if with a burst of gunfire or electric current or as if by shooting wordnet
- 7 To kill; to eliminate. US, slang, transitive
"Says a U. S. officer: "We zapped the enemy, now we intend to stick around. […]"
- 8 strike suddenly and with force wordnet
- 9 To do away with something. slang, transitive
- 10 To enliven. slang, transitive
- 11 To move or transport (something) in a brief time frame. slang, transitive
- 12 To damage (especially electronics) with electrostatic discharge. slang, transitive
"I think they zapped the processor."
- 13 To heat (something) in a microwave oven. slang, transitive
"If it's not warm in the middle, zap it some more."
- 14 To delete or discard (electronic media). slang, transitive
"They zapped a lot of files before realizing they had not backed up lately."
- 15 To further energize or charge (magnetic material). slang, transitive
"They zapped my motor's magnets."
- 16 To photocopy. Singapore, informal, transitive
"Got to go and zap this document now."
- 17 To participate in a zap (protest) against.
"We are periodically assailed with appeals to help block this or censor that or zap the other media presentation which one or other of us thinks (often with justice) is injurious to gays or others."
Intj
- 1 Representing the sound or action of a zap.
"Then the computer went zap and I lost all my work."
Proper Noun
- 1 A city and town in North Dakota.
Antonyms
Example
"Zap it in the microwave for thirty seconds."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "zap"?
Common synonyms include: arc, atomise, atomize, bam, beep, blast.
How do you use "zap" in a sentence?
Zap it in the microwave for thirty seconds.
How do you pronounce "zap"?
Pronounced /zæp/.
Etymology
1920s, American English, of imitative origin.