astringent

American  

[uh-strin-juhnt] / əˈstrɪn dʒənt /

adjective

1. Medicine/Medical. contracting; constrictive; styptic.

2. harshly biting; caustic.

   his astringent criticism.

   Synonyms:

   rigorous, harsh, sharp

3. stern or severe; austere.

   Synonyms:

   rigorous, harsh, sharp

4. sharply incisive; pungent.

   astringent wit.

---

noun

1. Medicine/Medical. a substance that contracts the tissues or canals of the body, thereby diminishing discharges, as of mucus or blood.

2. a cosmetic that cleans the skin and constricts the pores.

astringent British  

/ əˈstrɪndʒənt /

adjective

1. severe; harsh

2. sharp or invigorating

3. causing contraction of body tissues, checking blood flow, or restricting secretions of fluids; styptic

---

noun

1. an astringent drug or lotion

astringent Scientific  

/ ə-strĭn′jənt /

1. A substance or preparation, such as alum, that draws together or constricts body tissues, resulting in decreased flow of blood or other secretions.

---

Related Words

See acid.

Other Word Forms

• astringency noun
• astringently adverb
• nonastringency noun
• nonastringent adjective
• nonastringently adverb

Etymology

Origin of astringent

1535–45; < Latin astringent- (stem of astringēns ) present participle of astringere to astringe; -ent

Example Sentences

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

It was musty and slightly astringent, not unlike the communal bin area in his block of flats.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

Winogrand, who died in 1984, at 56, had an astringent take on the world that didn’t benefit from the infusion of color.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2024

Touchet — she pronounces it the French way — is observant and astringent, tall and imposing.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2023

The sharp, astringent scent of the dogonyaro leaves filled the car, and Amaka breathed deeply and said they cured malaria.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie