This list includes 30 Hard words that start with Z, from “Zabaglione” to “Zyzzyva”. Many entries are low-frequency, multilingual, technical, or archaic terms useful in writing and study.

Hard words that start with Z are uncommon, often polysyllabic terms drawn from diverse languages and fields. For example, “Zyzzyva” is a South American weevil and often appears as the final dictionary entry.

Below you’ll find the table with Etymology and Definition.

Etymology: Shows the word’s origin, root elements, and approximate date, so you understand history and word formation.

Definition: Gives a concise part of speech and one-sentence meaning, so you can use the word correctly in writing or speech.

Hard words that start with Z

WordPart of speechPronunciationEtymology
Zabaglionen./za-ba-ˈʎo-ne/Italian, from zabalà ‘beaten up’, c. 1890s.
Zaftigadj./ˈzɑːftɪɡ/Yiddish, from zaftik ‘juicy’, from zaft ‘juice’, c. 1930s.
Zanjeron./sɑːnˈhɛəroʊ/Spanish, from zanja ‘ditch’, c. 1860s.
Zarathustrianadj./ˌzærəˈθuːstriən/From Zarathustra, Persian prophet, c. 1880s.
Zarfn./zɑːrf/Arabic, ẓarf meaning ‘vessel’ or ‘sheath’, c. 1830s.
Zelatorn./zəˈleɪtər/Latin, zelator ‘a zealot’, from Greek zēlōtēs, c. 1650s.
Zeoliten./ˈziːəˌlaɪt/Greek, zein ‘to boil’ + lithos ‘stone’, c. 1790s.
Zeteticadj./zəˈtɛtɪk/Greek, zētētikos ‘inquisitive’, from zētein ‘to seek’, c. 1640s.
Zeugman./ˈzuːɡmə/Greek, zeugma ‘a yoking’, from zeugnynai ‘to join’, c. 1570s.
Zibelinen./ˈzɪbəlɪn/Old French, zibeline, from Slavic, related to ‘sable’, c. 1400s.
Zigguratn./ˈzɪɡəræt/Akkadian, ziqqurratu, meaning ‘height, pinnacle’, c. 1870s.
Zoilusn./ˈzoʊɪləs/From Zoilus, a 4th-century BC Greek critic of Homer.
Zoanthropyn./zoʊˈænθrəpi/Greek, zōon ‘animal’ + anthrōpos ‘man’, c. 1850s.
Zoetropen./ˈzoʊɪˌtroʊp/Greek, zōē ‘life’ + tropos ‘turning’, c. 1860s.
Zonulen./ˈzɒnjuːl/Latin, zōnula, diminutive of zōna ‘girdle’, c. 1840s.
Zoomorphismn./ˌzoʊəˈmɔːrfɪzəm/Greek, zōon ‘animal’ + morphē ‘form’, c. 1860s.
Zoophagousadj./zoʊˈɒfəɡəs/Greek, zōon ‘animal’ + phagein ‘to eat’, c. 1820s.
Zoophilyn./zoʊˈɒfɪli/Greek, zōon ‘animal’ + philia ‘love’, c. 1880s.
Zoophyten./ˈzoʊəˌfaɪt/Greek, zōon ‘animal’ + phyton ‘plant’, c. 1660s.
Zootomyn./zoʊˈɒtəmi/Greek, zōon ‘animal’ + tomia ‘cutting’, c. 1730s.
Zostern./ˈzɒstər/Greek, zōstēr ‘a girdle, belt’, c. 1398.
Zouaven./zuːˈɑːv/French, from Zwāwa, a Berber tribe in Algeria, c. 1830s.
Zwitterionn./ˈtsvɪtəriən/German, zwitter ‘hermaphrodite’ + ion, c. 1900s.
Zygodactyladj./ˌzaɪɡoʊˈdæktɪl/Greek, zygon ‘yoke’ + daktylos ‘finger, toe’, c. 1830s.
Zygoman./zaɪˈɡoʊmə/Greek, zygōma ‘yoke, bar’, from zygon ‘yoke’, c. 1680s.
Zygomorphicadj./ˌzaɪɡəˈmɔːrfɪk/Greek, zygon ‘yoke’ + morphē ‘form’, c. 1880s.
Zymologyn./zaɪˈmɒlədʒi/Greek, zymē ‘leaven’ + -logia ‘study’, c. 1860s.
Zymoticadj./zaɪˈmɒtɪk/Greek, zymōtikos ‘causing to ferment’, c. 1840s.
Zymurgyn./ˈzaɪmɜːrdʒi/Greek, zymē ‘leaven’ + ergon ‘work’, c. 1830s.
Zyzzyvan./ˈzɪzɪvə/Coined by T.L. Casey, possibly imitating insect sounds, c. 1922.

Descriptions

Zabaglione
This rich, foamy Italian dessert is made by whisking egg yolks, sugar, and sweet wine, often served warm with fruit.
Zaftig
An informal term describing a person, especially a woman, as having a full, shapely, and pleasantly plump figure.
Zanjero
A historical term for a supervisor of irrigation canals or a ditch-rider, especially in the Southwestern United States.
Zarathustrian
Relating to Zoroastrianism, the ancient monotheistic religion founded by the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in Persia.
Zarf
An ornamental holder for a hot coffee cup that lacks a handle, used to protect the fingers from being burned.
Zelator
A term from historical societies, like the Rosicrucians, for a member of the lowest grade or a zealous follower.
Zeolite
A technical term for any of a large group of microporous minerals commonly used as commercial adsorbents and catalysts.
Zetetic
A formal term meaning proceeding by inquiry; it describes a method of investigation that seeks information rather than accepting dogma.
Zeugma
A literary device where one word applies to two others in different senses, like, “She broke his car and his heart.”
Zibeline
The soft, glossy, and valuable brown fur of the sable, or a smooth, lustrous woolen fabric made to imitate it.
Ziggurat
A massive, terraced pyramid-like structure built in ancient Mesopotamia, which served as a temple for religious purposes.
Zoilus
An eponym used in literary contexts to refer to a bitter, carping, and unjustly harsh critic of someone’s work.
Zoanthropy
A rare form of delusion in which a person believes themselves to be an animal, complete with the corresponding behaviors.
Zoetrope
A 19th-century optical toy that created the illusion of motion from a sequence of static pictures inside a spinning cylinder.
Zonule
A technical anatomical term for a small band, zone, or belt, especially the fine ligaments holding the lens of the eye in place.
Zoomorphism
A literary or artistic technique where animal attributes are imposed upon non-animal objects, humans, or even gods.
Zoophagous
A formal, biological term for an animal that is carnivorous, meaning it feeds on other animals for sustenance.
Zoophily
A botanical term for the pollination of plants by animals, such as bees, birds, or bats carrying pollen between flowers.
Zoophyte
An archaic biological term for an invertebrate animal, like a coral or sea anemone, that outwardly resembles a plant.
Zootomy
A technical term for the science of animal anatomy, involving the dissection or study of the structure of animals.
Zoster
The medical term for shingles, a painful viral disease characterized by a rash of blisters in a band around one side of the body.
Zouave
A member of certain light infantry regiments in the French army, known for their colorful uniforms and historically recruited from North Africa.
Zwitterion
A technical chemistry term for a molecule, like an amino acid, that has both a positive and a negative electrical charge.
Zygodactyl
A technical term describing a bird’s foot having two toes pointing forward and two backward, typical of woodpeckers and parrots.
Zygoma
The anatomical term for the zygomatic bone, which is the bone that forms the prominent part of the cheek and the outer side of the eye socket.
Zygomorphic
A botanical term describing a flower, like an orchid, that has bilateral symmetry and can only be divided into two equal halves by one plane.
Zymology
An applied science that specifically studies the biochemical process of fermentation, particularly its use in brewing beer and making wine.
Zymotic
An archaic medical term for a disease believed to be caused by a fermenting agent or miasma acting on the body.
Zymurgy
A branch of chemistry that deals with fermentation processes, such as in brewing; famously, it is often the last word in English dictionaries.
Zyzzyva
A genus of tropical American weevils notable for its unusual name, which often makes it the very last entry in alphabetical lists and dictionaries.
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