pungent

P3U1N1G2E1N1T1
/ˈpʌnd͡ʒənt/

adjective

Having a strong odor that stings the nose; said especially of acidic or spicy substances.

“The critic gave a pungent review.”

Similar
poignantassertiveacridtastybarbedbitingnippingmordacious
OriginLatin pungens →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

adjectivepungent (comparative more pungent, superlative most pungent)

comparative more pungent · superlative most pungent

  1. Having a strong odor that stings the nose; said especially of acidic or spicy substances.

    I accidentally dropped the bottle of ammonia and after few seconds, a very pungent stench could be detected.

    2 more examples

    Pilton Yard, the Lynton & Barnstaple headquarters, has been taken over by a fur trading firm, and would-be trespassers to the old engine-shed are turned back by the pungent odour of heaps of carcases.

    1951 February, “Notes and News: Lynton & Barnstaple Remains”, in Railway Magazine, page 136

    I can almost smell the fir scent... resinous, pungent.

    1991, Paul Chadwick, Concrete: American Christmas, Dark Horse Books

    Synonyms: poignant, assertive

  2. Having a strong taste that stings the tongue; said especially of hot (spicy) food, which has a strong and sharp or bitter taste.

    Synonyms: poignant, assertive

  3. figurativelyStinging; acerbic.

    The critic gave a pungent review.

  4. biologyHaving a sharp and stiff point.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveHaving a strong odor that stings the nose; said especially of acidic or spicy substances.

Similar
poignantassertive

adjectiveHaving a strong taste that stings the tongue; said especially of hot (spicy) food, which has a strong and sharp or bitter taste.

Similar
poignantassertive

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivestrong and sharp

Similar
acridtasty

adjectivecapable of wounding

Similar
barbedbitingnippingmordacioussarcastic
Also see
acridbarbedbitingcausticmordaciousnippingsharpspicy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinpungens
  2. Englishpungent

Borrowed from Latin pungens (stem pungent-), present participle of pungo (“to sting”). Doublet of poignant.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek δριμύς, δριμύς
  • δριμύς (drimús)having a strong odour
  • δριμύς (drimús)having a strong flavor
Bulgarian остър, заострен
  • остър (ostăr)having a strong odour
  • заострен (zaostren)having a sharp and stiff point
  • пикантен (pikanten)having a strong flavor
Chinese Mandarin 刺鼻, 辛辣
  • 刺鼻 (cìbí)having a strong odour
  • 辛辣 (xīnlà)having a sharp and stiff point
Czech štiplavý, pronikavý
  • štiplavýhaving a strong odour
  • pronikavýhaving a strong odour
  • čpavýhaving a strong odour
  • kousavýstinging (remark or critique)
  • sžíravýstinging (remark or critique)
  • jizlivýstinging (remark or critique)
  • ostrýhaving a strong flavor
  • palčivýhaving a strong flavor
  • výraznýhaving a strong flavor
Dutch scherp, stekend
  • scherphaving a strong odour
  • stekendhaving a strong odour
  • scherphaving a sharp and stiff point
Finnish pistävä
  • pistävähaving a strong odour
French âcre, pointu
  • âcrehaving a strong odour
  • pointuhaving a sharp and stiff point
  • piquanthaving a sharp and stiff point
German stechend, beißend
  • stechendhaving a strong odour
  • beißendhaving a strong odour
  • penetranthaving a strong odour
Greek δριμύς, οξύς
  • δριμύς (drimýs)having a strong odour
  • οξύς (oxýs)having a strong odour
  • αψύς (apsýs)having a strong odour
  • δηκτικός (diktikós)having a sharp and stiff point
  • καυστικός (kafstikós)having a sharp and stiff point
Hungarian szúrós szagú, csípős
  • szúrós szagúhaving a strong odour
  • csípőshaving a strong odour
  • éleshaving a sharp and stiff point
  • árvégűhaving a sharp and stiff point
  • hegyeshaving a sharp and stiff point
  • szúróshaving a sharp and stiff point
Irish borb
  • borbhaving a strong odour
Italian pungente, acre
  • pungentehaving a strong odour
  • acrehaving a strong odour
  • salacehaving a sharp and stiff point
  • pungentehaving a sharp and stiff point
  • taglientehaving a sharp and stiff point
  • mordacehaving a sharp and stiff point
  • causticohaving a sharp and stiff point
  • sferzantehaving a sharp and stiff point
Latvian kodīgs, sīvs
  • kodīgshaving a strong odour
  • sīvshaving a strong odour
  • asshaving a sharp and stiff point
  • smailshaving a sharp and stiff point
  • asshaving a strong flavor
Māori kanekane
  • kanekanehaving a strong odour
Polish ostry, kłujący
  • ostryhaving a strong odour
  • kłującyhaving a strong odour
  • gryzącyhaving a strong odour
  • zjadliwystinging (remark or critique)
  • zgryźliwystinging (remark or critique)
  • ostryhaving a sharp and stiff point
  • ostryhaving a strong flavor
Romanian înțepător, înțepător
  • înțepătorhaving a strong odour
  • înțepătorhaving a strong flavor
Russian е́дкий, о́стрый
  • е́дкий (jédkij)having a strong odour
  • о́стрый (óstryj)having a strong odour
  • е́дкий (jédkij)having a sharp and stiff point
  • о́стрый (óstryj)having a sharp and stiff point
Spanish acre, pungente
  • acrehaving a strong odour
  • pungentehaving a strong odour
  • punzantehaving a sharp and stiff point
  • pungentehaving a sharp and stiff point
  • acrehaving a strong flavor
  • acerbohaving a strong flavor
  • pungentehaving a strong flavor
Swedish stickande, skarp
  • stickandehaving a strong odour
  • skarphaving a strong flavor
Thai ฉุน
  • ฉุน (chǔn)having a strong odour
Vietnamese hăng, gắt
  • hănghaving a strong odour
  • gắthaving a strong odour
Cite this entry
APA

pungent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pungent

MLA

“pungent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pungent. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pungent,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pungent.

Source: pungent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.