sizzle

sizzle

English

Etymology

Probably a derivative of Middle English sissen (“to hiss; buzz; hum”), equivalent to siss +‎ -le (frequentative suffix).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪzəl/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪzəl

Verb

sizzle (third-person singular simple present sizzles, present participle sizzling, simple past and past participle sizzled)

1. (intransitive) To make the sound of water boiling on a hot surface.

   The sausages were sizzling on the barbecue.

2. (transitive, informal) To cook (something) in a manner which causes that sound.

   I sizzled the bacon for a few minutes in the pan.

3. (intransitive) To be exciting or dazzling.

   The song sizzled with energy.

Derived terms

• sizzler

Translations

to make the sound of water hitting a hot surface

Bulgarian: цвъртя (bg) (cvǎrtja) Catalan: espurnejar (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 嘯／啸 (zh) (xiào), 噝／咝 (zh), 噝／咝 (zh) (sī) Czech: zasyčet pf Dutch: sissen (nl) Finnish: kihistä, sihistä (fi) French: grésiller (fr) German: zischen (de) Hungarian: sistereg (hu) Italian: sfrigolare (it), gorgogliare (it) Maori: hihī Occitan: grasilhar (oc), bronzinar (oc) Polish: skwierczeć Portuguese: chiar (pt) Russian: шипе́ть (ru) impf (šipétʹ), шкварча́ть (ru) impf (škvarčátʹ) Slovak: škvrčať Spanish: chisporrotear (es), chirriar (es) Turkish: cızırdamak (tr) Vietnamese: xèo xèo

to be exciting or dazzling

Dutch: zinderen (nl) Finnish: säkenöidä

Noun

sizzle (countable and uncountable, plural sizzles)

1. (countable) The sound of water boiling on a hot surface.

   We heard the sizzle of the onions hitting the pan.

2. (countable, informal) The process of being cooked which involves that sound.

   Give them a sizzle for a few more minutes before serving.

3. (uncountable) Zing, zip, or pizazz; excitement.

   Her performance had a lot of sizzle.

Translations

the sound of water hitting a hot surface

Bulgarian: цвърчене (bg) n (cvǎrčene) Chinese: Mandarin: 噝噝作響／咝咝作响 (sīsīzuòxiǎng) Czech: zasyčení n Finnish: kihinä, sihinä French: grésillement (fr) m German: Zischen n Hungarian: sistergés Japanese: シューシューいう音 (shūshū iu oto) Maori: hihī Polish: skwierczenie n Portuguese: chiado m Russian: шипе́ние (ru) n (šipénije), шкварча́ние n (škvarčánije) Slovak: škvrčanie n Spanish: chirriar (es) Turkish: cızırdama (tr) Vietnamese: tiếng xèo

zing, zip, or pizazz; excitement

Czech: poprask m, rozruch (cs) m Finnish: säpinä French: grésiller (fr) Spanish: chirrido (es) m

Anagrams

• zizels