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piquant

[ pee-kuhnt, -kahnt, pee-kahnt ]
/ ˈpi kənt, -kɑnt, piˈkɑnt /
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adjective

agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart: a piquant aspic.
agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive: a piquant glance.
of an interestingly provocative or lively character: a piquant wit.
Archaic. sharp or stinging, especially to the feelings.

RELATED WORDS

relish, zest, flavoring, tang, sharpness, liveliness, salt, raciness, spice

Nearby words

  1. pipsissewa,
  2. pipsqueak,
  3. pipy,
  4. piqua,
  5. piquancy,
  6. piquantly,
  7. pique,
  8. piqued,
  9. piquet,
  10. piquillo

Origin of piquant

1515–25; < French: literally, pricking (see pique1, -ant); replacing pickante < Italian piccante
SYNONYMS FOR piquant
1. spicy. 2. intriguing. 3. sharp, clever.
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ANTONYMS FOR piquant
1. insipid.
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Related formspi·quan·cy, pi·quant·ness, nounpi·quant·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for piquancy

British Dictionary definitions for piquancy

piquant

/ (ˈpiːkənt, -kɑːnt) /

adjective

having an agreeably pungent or tart taste
lively or stimulating to the mind
Derived Formspiquancy or rare piquantness, nounpiquantly, adverb

Word Origin for piquant

C16: from French (literally: prickling), from piquer to prick, goad; see pique 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for piquancy
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper