gusto

[guhs-toh]

noun

plural

gustoes 

1. hearty or keen enjoyment, as in eating or drinking, or in action or speech in general.

   to dance with gusto.

   Synonyms: fervor, spirit, zest, relish, delight, enthusiasm

2. individual taste or liking.

   The boy is an imaginative charmer, with a gusto for storytelling.

3. Archaic.,  artistic style or taste.

gusto

/ ˈɡʌstəʊ /

noun

1. vigorous enjoyment, zest, or relish, esp in the performance of an action

   the aria was sung with great gusto

Word History and Origins

Origin of gusto¹

First recorded in 1620–30; from Italian, from Latin gustus; gust ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of gusto¹

C17: from Spanish: taste, from Latin gustus a tasting; see _gustation

Example Sentences

Del Toro delights in the kinetic gusto of the tale, the grotesquerie of cracking limbs and blood sloshing about Victor’s shoes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Olsen: You have this one line, the word “Mister,” that you say throughout your screen time, and you just deliver it with such like verve and gusto.

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But Curtis hurls herself into this schtick with gusto — say, demanding a ring light and lip plumper for her passport photo — and gets you laughing anyway.

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Prof Kingston says his success is less about policies and more about gusto.

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She emotes, she has a developed backstory, and she delivers some of the film’s most compelling dialogue with confident gusto.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• brio 
• fervor 
• relish 
• verve 
• zeal 
• zest