pungent
Americanadjective
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- bitter, acrimonious, cutting, mordant, sarcastic
- Antonyms:
- soothing
-
mentally stimulating or appealing.
pungent wit.
- Antonyms:
- dull
-
Biology. piercing or sharp-pointed.
adjective
-
having an acrid smell or sharp bitter flavour
-
(of wit, satire, etc) biting; caustic
-
biology ending in a sharp point
a pungent leaf
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pungent
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin pungent-, stem of pungēns “pricking,” present participle of pungere “to prick”; cf. poignant
Explanation
Use pungent to describe a taste or smell that gives a sharp sensation. "What is that pungent odor?" is a polite way of suggesting that someone in the room has BO. The ultimate source of the word pungent is Latin pungere, "to prick, sting." Ginger and mustard seed are examples of pungent spices. Limburger cheese has the distinction of being the most pungent of all cheeses. And if your pet has an accident in the house, there may be a pungent odor. And pungent can be used in a figurative sense: pungent language is stimulating and expressive.
Vocabulary lists containing pungent
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 4
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The Nose Knows: Olfactory Vocabulary
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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.
Vietnam's Central Highlands produces around one sixth of the world's coffee, but farmers are switching their traditional crop for durian to cash in on surging Chinese demand for the pungent "king of fruits".
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
Glendale resident Trinity Shi, 42, witnessed three blooms at the Huntington in 2022 and 2023 and compared the smell to rotten fish: pungent, but not unbearable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Packets of food were strewn across the floor, doors hung off their hinges, and a pungent smell of faeces filled the air.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
Directed by Thea Sharrock and written by Natalie Krinsky, Cinco Paul and Katie Silberman, “Ladies First” invites pointed as well as pungent jokes, and the opportunities are fully exploited, sometimes with enormous wit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
I lifted the lid and a cloud of pungent, bitter steam hit me in the face.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
