PUNGENT


Meaning of PUNGENT in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ -jənt ]

adjective

Etymology: Latin pungent-, pungens, present participle of pungere to prick, sting; akin to Latin pugnus fist, pugnare to fight, Greek pygmē fist

Date: 1597

1. : sharply painful

2. : having a stiff and sharp point

pungent leaves

3.

a. : marked by a sharp incisive quality : caustic

a pungent critic

pungent language

b. : being sharp and to the point

4.

a. : causing a sharp or irritating sensation ; especially : acrid

b. : having an intense flavor or odor

a pungent chili

• pun·gent·ly adverb

Synonyms:

pungent , piquant , poignant , racy mean sharp and stimulating to the mind or the senses. pungent implies a sharp, stinging, or biting quality especially of odors

a cheese with a pungent odor

piquant suggests a power to whet the appetite or interest through tartness or mild pungency

a piquant sauce

poignant suggests something is sharply or piercingly effective in stirring one's emotions

felt a poignant sense of loss

racy implies having a strongly characteristic natural quality fresh and unimpaired

spontaneous, racy prose

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.