pungent

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: pun=gent

CIDE DICTIONARY

pungent, a. [L. pungens, -entis, p. pr. of pungere, punctum, to prick. Cf. Compunction, Expunge, Poignant, Point, n., Puncheon, Punctilio, Punt, v. t.].

•  Causing a sharp sensation, as of the taste, smell, or feelings; pricking; biting; acrid; as, a pungent spice.  [1913 Webster]

  "Pungent radish biting infant's tongue."  [1913 Webster]

  "The pungent grains of titillating dust."  [1913 Webster]
•  Sharply painful; penetrating; poignant; severe; caustic; stinging.  [1913 Webster]

  "With pungent pains on every side."  [1913 Webster]

  "His pungent pen played its part in rousing the nation."  [1913 Webster]
•  Prickly-pointed; hard and sharp.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Acrid; piercing; sharp; penetrating; acute; keen; acrimonious; biting; stinging.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

pungent, adj.
1 having a sharp or strong taste or smell, esp. so as to produce a pricking sensation.
2 (of remarks) penetrating, biting, caustic.
3 mentally stimulating.
4 Biol. having a sharp point.

Derivative

pungency n. pungently adv.

Etymology

L pungent- pres. part. of pungere prick

THESAURUS

pungent

Attic, acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acescent, acid, acrid, acrimonious, acute, afflictive, agonizing, amaroidal, aphoristic, aromatic, asperous, astringent, atrocious, axiomatic, barbed, biting, bitter, bitter as gall, brilliant, caustic, clever, coarse, consuming, crab, crabbed, cramping, crisp, cruel, cutting, deafening, distressing, droll, dry, epigrammatic, escharotic, exciting, excruciating, facetious, flavorful, formulaic, formulistic, funny, gnawing, gnomic, grave, green, griping, hard, harrowing, harsh, hot, humorous, humorsome, hurtful, hurting, incisive, intense, irritating, jesting, jocose, jocular, joking, joky, joshing, keen, keen-witted, lively, loud, mordant, nimble-witted, nose-piercing, nose-tickling, oppressive, painful, paroxysmal, penetrating, peppery, peppy, pickled, piercing, piquant, pithy, platitudinous, poignant, pointed, proverbial, provocative, quick-witted, racking, racy, rapier-like, reeking, rich, rough, salt, salty, sapid, sarcastic, scathing, scintillating, seasoned, sec, sententious, severe, sharp, shooting, smart, snappy, sour, sour as vinegar, soured, sourish, sparkling, spasmatic, spasmic, spasmodic, spicy, spirited, sprightly, stabbing, stern, stimulating, stinging, strong, strong-scented, strong-smelling, succinct, suffocating, tangy, tart, tartish, tasty, terse, thundering, tormenting, torturous, trenchant, uninteresting, unripe, unsweet, unsweetened, upsetting, vinegarish, vinegary, vitriolic, vivacious, whimsical, witty, zesty

ROGET THESAURUS

pungent

Vigor

N vigor, power, force, boldness, raciness, intellectual, force, spirit, point, antithesis, piquance, piquancy, verve, glow, fire, warmth, strong language, gravity, sententiousness, elevation, loftiness, sublimity, eloquence, command of words, command of language, vigorous, nervous, powerful, forcible, trenchant, incisive, impressive, sensational, spirited, lively, glowing, sparkling, racy, bold, slashing, pungent, piquant, full of point, pointed, pithy, antithetical, sententious, lofty, elevated, sublime, eloquent, vehement, petulant, impassioned, poetic, in glowing terms, in good set terms, in no measured terms, thoughts that breath and words that burn.

Feeling

N feeling, suffering, endurance, tolerance, sufferance, supportance, experience, response, sympathy, impression, inspiration, affection, sensation, emotion, pathos, deep sense, warmth, glow, unction, gusto, vehemence, fervor, fervency, heartiness, cordiality, earnestness, eagerness, empressement, gush, ardor, zeal, passion, enthusiasm, verve, furore, fanaticism, excitation of feeling, fullness of the heart, passion, ecstasy, blush, suffusion, flush, hectic, tingling, thrill, turn, shock, agitation, quiver, heaving, flutter, flurry, fluster, twitter, tremor, throb, throbbing, pulsation, palpitation, panting, trepidation, perturbation, ruffle, hurry of spirits, pother, stew, ferment, state of excitement, feeling, sentient, sensuous, sensorial, sensory, emotive, emotional, of feeling, with feeling, warm, quick, lively, smart, strong, sharp, acute, cutting, piercing, incisive, keen, keen as a razor, trenchant, pungent, racy, piquant, poignant, caustic, impressive, deep, profound, indelible, deep felt, home felt, heartfelt, swelling, soul-stirring, deep-mouthed, heart-expanding, electric, thrilling, rapturous, ecstatic, earnest, wistful, eager, breathless, fervent, fervid, gushing, passionate, warm-hearted, hearty, cordial, sincere, zealous, enthusiastic, glowing, ardent, burning, red-hot, fiery, flaming, boiling over, pervading, penetrating, absorbing, rabid, raving, feverish, fanatical, hysterical, impetuous, impressed with, moved with, touched with, affected with, penetrated with, seized with, imbued with, devoured by, wrought up, struck all of a heap, rapt, in a quiver, enraptured, heart and soul, from the bottom of one's heart, ab imo pectore, at heart, con amore, heartily, devoutly, over head and ears, head over heels, the heart big, the heart full, the heart swelling, the heart beating, the heart pulsating, the heart throbbing, the heart thumping, the heart beating high, the heart melting, the heart overflowing, the heart bursting, the heart breaking, the heart goes out, a heart as big as all outdoors (sympathy).

Pungency

N pungency, piquance, piquancy, poignancy haut-gout, strong taste, twang, race, sharpness, acrimony, roughness, unsavoriness, mustard, cayenne, caviare, seasoning, niter, saltpeter, brine (saltiness), carbonate of ammonia, sal ammoniac, sal volatile, smelling salts, hartshorn (acridity), dram, cordial, nip, nicotine, tobacco, snuff, quid, smoke, segar, cigar, cigarette, weed, fragrant weed, Indian weed, Cavendish, fid, negro head, old soldier, rappee, stogy, pungent, strong, high-, full-flavored, high-tasted, high-seasoned, gamy, sharp, stinging, rough, piquant, racy, biting, mordant, spicy, seasoned, hot, hot as pepper, peppery, vellicating, escharotic, meracious, acrid, acrimonious, bitter, rough, unsavory.

Odor

N odor, smell, odorament, scent, effluvium, emanation, exhalation, fume, essence, trail, nidor, redolence, sense of smell, scent, act of smelling, olfaction, olfactories, fragrance, odorant, bloodhound, hound, spoor, odorous, odoriferous, smelling, reeking, foul-smelling, strong- scented, redolent, graveolent, nidorous, pungent, putrid, foul, olfactory, quick-scented.