veggies

IPA/ˈvedʒ.i/
KK[vˈɛdʒiz]IPA/ˈvedʒ.i/

veggies — adjective

  • veggiespositive
  • more veggiescomparative
  • most veggiessuperlative

1. used to describe food that is made without any meat, making it suitable for peop

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

used to describe food that is made without any meat, making it suitable for people who choose not to eat meat or fish

Example

Wren chose the cafe for the veggie breakfast because the scrambled tofu and grilled tomatoes looked hearty.

attributive: veggie + food noun (breakfast)

Yuna ordered a veggie pizza topped with mushrooms, olives, and bell peppers.

Common collocations
  • veggie burger
  • veggie pizza
  • veggie wrap
  • veggie lasagna
  • veggie curry
  • veggie platter
Synonyms
  • vegetarian

    the neutral, standard term; 'veggie' is the informal short form

  • meatless

    focuses on the absence of meat rather than a lifestyle; e.g. 'meatless Monday'

  • plant-based

    a broader, more modern term that also excludes dairy and eggs in some contexts

Antonyms
  • meat

    not an adjective; use 'meat-based' or 'non-vegetarian' as opposites

Grammar Patterns

veggie + food noun

Usage Note

Attributive only — always used before a noun. You cannot say ✳'This pizza is veggie' in the same way as 'This pizza is vegetarian.' The standard written form is 'veggie' (without final -s), even when the headword is listed as 'veggies.'

Common Mistakes

I ordered a veggies pizza.
I ordered a veggie pizza.
When used as an adjective before a noun, the form is 'veggie', not 'veggies'.

veggies — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These words all refer to edible plants, but they differ in scope and register. 'Vegetables' is the neutral, standard term for any plant grown for food, from carrots to spinach. 'Veggies' is the informal, friendly short form — used the same way but in casual conversation. 'Greens' is narrower: it covers only leafy vegetables such as lettuce, kale, and Swiss chard. 'Produce' is broader: it includes both vegetables and fruit, and is most common at a grocery store ('fresh produce aisle'). For example, you might say 'Eat your greens' to a child at dinner (leafy veggies only), but 'I need to buy more veggies' in everyday talk (any vegetables), and 'The produce at this market is excellent' (vegetables and fruit together).

vegetables ↗greens ↗produce ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • eat your veggies
  • go veggie
  • fresh veggies
  • organic veggies
  • roasted veggies
  • green veggies
  • root veggies

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Veggies' is a shortened, playful form of 'vegetables', first recorded in the mid-20th century. It later also took on the meaning of 'vegetarians' by the same clipping pattern. The root goes back through French and Latin to the Latin word 'vegetabilis', meaning 'growing, flourishing'.

First known use

1955

1955, in the meaning defined at sense 1