astringent
Americanadjective
noun
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Medicine/Medical. a substance that contracts the tissues or canals of the body, thereby diminishing discharges, as of mucus or blood.
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a cosmetic that cleans the skin and constricts the pores.
adjective
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severe; harsh
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sharp or invigorating
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causing contraction of body tissues, checking blood flow, or restricting secretions of fluids; styptic
noun
Related Words
See acid.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of astringent
1535–45; < Latin astringent- (stem of astringēns ) present participle of astringere to astringe; see -ent
Explanation
You know that vinegar-like liquid teens put on their faces in order to tighten their pores and dry up their pimples? That's astringent. An astringent personality, on the other hand, is perceived as bitter and perhaps even a bit toxic. Astringent may be a lifesaver for an acne-prone teen, but when the term is used as an adjective and applied to you personally, it's less positive. Since astringents are acid-based, an astringent personality can also be corrosive. If someone is prone to biting sarcasm and cynicism, he probably has an astringent view of the world.
Vocabulary lists containing astringent
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List 1
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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.
Their study, published in Current Research in Food Science, examined whether the distinctive astringent taste of flavanols could itself act as a signal to the brain.
From Science Daily • Feb. 7, 2026
The latter are bitter and astringent compounds that come from grape skins, seeds and stems.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2024
Touchet — she pronounces it the French way — is observant and astringent, tall and imposing.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2023
By turns tender and astringent, Dame Edna called audience members “possums” often.
From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2023
Ama could smell the astringent flavors as they drifted out with the steam.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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.
