tangy
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tangy
Explanation
Tangy foods, like vinegar and lemon juice, have a sharp, acidic flavor. Your salad will taste better if you pour plenty of tangy salad dressing on it. If you like tangy flavors, you'll probably enjoy lemonade that's not too sweet, as well as foods like blue cheese, lime-flavored Thai dishes, and plain yogurt. The adjective tangy comes from tang, "strong flavor or smell." The earliest definition of tang was "a serpent's stinging tongue," from a root meaning "to bite."
Vocabulary lists containing tangy
Tasteful Terms: Flavorful Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Night Diary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Words for Cheese Writers
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The natural leavening gives them a lighter, crispier crust and an airy, mildly tangy crumb.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
The McRib, also offered on a limited-time basis, is described as “seasoned boneless pork dipped in a tangy BBQ sauce, topped with slivered onions and tangy pickles.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
A soft, spice-warmed cake that layers apples three ways—applesauce in the crumb, roasted chunks folded through and a tangy apple butter frosting on top.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
In March, it rolled out Big Arch—a limited-time, large-format burger that features two quarter-pound beef patties, white cheddar cheese, crispy onions, pickles, and a tangy new sauce on a toasted sesame-poppy seed bun.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
Fadi took a spoonful of tangy homemade yogurt and plopped it onto his plate, next to a pile of stewed cauliflower.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
