tangy
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tangy
Explanation
Tangy foods, like vinegar and lemon juice, have a sharp, acidic flavor. Your salad will taste better if you pour plenty of tangy salad dressing on it. If you like tangy flavors, you'll probably enjoy lemonade that's not too sweet, as well as foods like blue cheese, lime-flavored Thai dishes, and plain yogurt. The adjective tangy comes from tang, "strong flavor or smell." The earliest definition of tang was "a serpent's stinging tongue," from a root meaning "to bite."
Vocabulary lists containing tangy
Tasteful Terms: Flavorful Words
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The Night Diary
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Words for Cheese Writers
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Steve Turk, a partner at vacation rental company Tangy Management, said rentals in Miami are booking at higher rates on Inter Miami match weekends, especially within driving distance of the stadium.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
Tangy Soy-Sesame Sauce In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.
From Washington Times • Aug. 22, 2023
Tangy yogurt, sliced kumquats and a sprinkling of savory pistachio granola provide plenty of lift to the arrangement.
From Washington Post • Feb. 17, 2023
Tangy souring agents tame the fat-forward funk of Kusina’s homestyle Filipino menu, which is lengthy.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2022
Tangy tangerine and bright cherry red and deep blueberry.
From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
