pungent

[ puhn-juhnt ]

/ ˈpʌn dʒənt /

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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.

Nearby words

Origin of pungent

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

SYNONYMS FOR pungent

1. hot, peppery, piquant, sharp. 3. sarcastic, mordant, cutting; acrimonious, bitter. 4. keen, sharp.

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ANTONYMS FOR pungent

1. mild, bland. 3. soothing. 4. dull.

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Related forms

pun·gen·cy, nounpun·gent·ly, adverbnon·pun·gen·cy, nounnon·pun·gent, adjective

non·pun·gent·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pungent

Regardless, that goes double for a hippy isle full of expats and pungent pot known as Bocas del Toro.
A Man, a Plan, a Canal: Panama Turns 100|Bill Schulz|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their free clinic in central Athens is housed in a shabby apartment that smells of feverish bodies and pungent medicine.
A Dickensian Christmas For Greece’s New Poor|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On move-in day I opened the front door to a pungent, musky odor of pure mold.
George Washington University’s Housing Horrors|Miranda Green|August 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Women who use the pungent coverup make less money than fully topless dancers, but many seem to prefer the alternative.
A License to Strip? Texas Dancers Say No Thanks|Rachel Krantz|January 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST

New hires are also warned not to wear perfume or aftershave that is too pungent.
Juiciest Bits From the Royal Exposé|Tom Sykes|October 31, 2011|DAILY BEAST
A salt breath, pungent with tide-stranded seaweed, reached him.
The Divine Adventure etc. (Works vol. 4)|Fiona Macleod
It was a pungent answer given by a Free Kirk member who had deserted his colours and returned to the old faith.
Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character|Edward Bannerman Ramsay
The aromatic odor and pungent, bitter taste are retained in the dried article.
Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants|A. R. (Arthur Robert) Harding
He was beginning to see, despite the darkness and the nauseating, pungent fumes.
A Lively Bit of the Front|Percy F. Westerman
The leaves are acrid, and emit a pungent odour when handled.
The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition|Sutton and Sons

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 Formspungency, 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

Word Origin and History for pungent

pungent

adj.

1590s, "sharp, poignant" (of pain or grief), from Latin pungentem (nominative pungens), present participle of pungere "to prick, pierce, sting," figuratively, "to vex, grieve, trouble, afflict," related to pugnus "fist" (see pugnacious). Meaning "having powerful odor or taste" first recorded 1660s. Literal sense "sharp, pointed" (c.1600) is very rare in English, mostly limited to botany. Middle English and early Modern English also had a now-obsolete verb punge "to prick, pierce; to smart, cause to sting," from Latin pungere. Related: Pungently.

pungent

adjective

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Origin of pungent

Examples from the Web for pungent

pungent

adjective

Word Origin for pungent

pungent