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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. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for pungent

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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