piquant
Americanadjective
-
agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart.
a piquant aspic.
- Synonyms:
- spicy
- Antonyms:
- insipid
-
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.
adjective
-
having an agreeably pungent or tart taste
-
lively or stimulating to the mind
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of piquant
First recorded in 1515–25; from French: literally, “pricking” ( see pique 1, -ant); replacing pickante, from Italian piccante
Explanation
Feeling a little saucy? Perhaps a bit provocative — but in a good way? Then it's safe to say your personality is a little piquant. Coming to us from the French word piquer, which means "to prick," something that's piquant certainly piques your interest. Someone who's piquant engages you with charm and wit. A story that's filled with piquant details has plenty of juicy, provocative points. And grandma's homemade gravy? It's certainly zesty and piquant, even with all the lumps.
Vocabulary lists containing piquant
"Love's Vocabulary," Vocabulary from the essay
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 5
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Tasteful Terms: Flavorful Words
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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.
It initially hit the right sweet, slightly piquant notes that al pastor meat should — but the flavor quickly dissipated because the marinade hadn’t soaked through the chicken chunks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
Like this exquisite, piquant one-pan wonder I learned to make a couple of summers ago at Lo Scoglio, the legendary hotel and restaurant on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 15, 2026
The piquant pudding is one of many foods widely eaten in the Caribbean country that has its origins in Africa and has survived to this day.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2025
A dozen acrylic and graphite drawings of birds by Sutapa Biswas, accompanied by her video “Magnesium Bird,” make for a piquant counterweight.
From New York Times ● May 9, 2024
Of her daughters, the eldest, Amy, was rather little: naïve, and child-like in face and manner, and piquant in form; her white muslin dress and blue sash became her well.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
