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
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having an acrid smell or sharp bitter flavour
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(of wit, satire, etc) biting; caustic
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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.
Still, with its smooth strings, creamy brass, pungent winds and friendly percussion, Noseda’s NSO came across as a gracious orchestra meant to please, and, consequently, a seemingly marvelous anomaly in an otherwise divisive present-day D.C.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Nearly two months later, residents of Boyle Heights say the clean-up has taken a lot longer than expected, and they've grown frustrated with the pungent odour hovering over the area.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
As the fireworks clear from Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina Sunday, let’s take a moment to bask in the afterglow and pungent ranch dressing burps of the just-completed 2026 North American World Cup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
The pungent smell of death emanates from the Caracas morgue, an odour that thousands of liters of donated chlorine cannot mask.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The man holding Stick stared at me with pungent hatred in his eyes.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
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.
