piquant

[pee-kuhnt, -kahnt, pee-kahnt]

adjective

1. agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart.

   a piquant aspic.

   Synonyms: spicy
   Antonyms: insipid

2. agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive.

   a piquant glance.

3. of an interestingly provocative or lively character.

   a piquant wit.

   Synonyms: clever, sharp

4. Archaic.,  sharp or stinging, especially to the feelings.

piquant

/ ˈpiːkənt, -kɑːnt /

adjective

1. having an agreeably pungent or tart taste

2. lively or stimulating to the mind

Other Word Forms

• piquancy noun
• piquantly adverb
• piquantness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of piquant¹

First recorded in 1515–25; from French: literally, “pricking” ( pique ¹, -ant ); replacing pickante, from Italian piccante

Word History and Origins

Origin of piquant¹

C16: from French (literally: prickling), from piquer to prick, goad; see _pique ¹

Example Sentences

Shrimp Pilau, like many of the entrees, is flavored with one of Mr. Twitty’s seasoning mixtures, in this case Kitchen Pepper, a blend of eight piquant spices that goes back to Colonial times.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

What a piquant moment for Nine Inch Nails to be back on the road playing their version of David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This set off culture clashes that resonated throughout the industry — and yielded some piquant anecdotes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“That night we served the hard-boiled eggs with a piquant herbaceous dressing that is somewhere at the intersection of gremolata, chimichurri and paradise,” he continued.

Read more on Salon

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.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• peppery 
• poignant 
• pungent 
• racy 
• savory 
• spicy 
• tangy 
• zesty