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pungent

[ puhn-juhnt ]
/ ˈpʌn dʒənt /
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See synonyms for: pungent / pungency on Thesaurus.com
adjective
sharply affecting the organs of taste or smell, as if by a penetrating power; biting; acrid.
acutely distressing to the feelings or mind; poignant.
caustic, biting, or sharply expressive: pungent remarks.
mentally stimulating or appealing: pungent wit.
Biology. piercing or sharp-pointed.
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Origin of pungent

1590–1600; <Latin pungent- (stem of pungēns), present participle of pungere to prick. See poignant, point, -ent

OTHER WORDS FROM pungent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to pungent

acid, acrid, aromatic, bitter, peppery, piquant, poignant, salty, sharp, sour, spicy, stinging, tangy, zesty, barbed, biting, caustic, incisive, piercing, scathing

How to use pungent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pungent

pungent
/ (ˈpʌndʒənt) /
adjective
having an acrid smell or sharp bitter flavour
(of wit, satire, etc) biting; caustic
biology ending in a sharp pointa pungent leaf

Derived forms of pungent

pungency, nounpungently, adverb

Word Origin for pungent

C16: from Latin pungens piercing, from pungere to prick
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
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