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
Derived 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.
Mr. Piquant remained active in the state’s election records Monday, according to records that listed all the same details but with a slightly different first name of “Gabart.”
From Washington Times • Dec. 14, 2021
Computer-driven hedge funds such as Piquant Technologies are set up to automatically seek out and bet against wobbly currencies based on market data.
From The Guardian • Oct. 30, 2016
My avatar alter ego, Jen-Luc Piquant, might be more like me than I realize.
From Slate • Jan. 30, 2014
Forgive Jen-Luc Piquant for being a bit rant-y, but today we are defending algebra.
From Scientific American • Aug. 14, 2012
Piquant, humorous, but written with an intense purpose.
From Famous Islands and Memorable Voyages by Anonymous
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.
