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.
Mr. Sullivan’s portraits are judicious and sharp, and he makes good use of pungent quotes from the newspaper scribes of the day.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
If I were unlucky enough to do so, I’d instantly lose my appetite, spitting out those pungent, peppery seeds with such haste and chugging glasses of water in an attempt to clean my palate.
From Salon • Jan. 25, 2026
Prakash said the rule wasn't mentioned anywhere and when he later inquired about which foods were considered pungent, he was told that sandwiches were not, while curry was.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026
Aside from being a general nuisance with their ferocious snores, pungent odors and growls, bears can do serious damage to a home.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026
One of these harns was a mammoth Quonset hut; it brimmed with grain—Westland sorghum—and one of them housed a dark, pungent hill of milo grain worth considerable money—a hundred thousand dollars.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
