punchy

adjective

ˈpən-chē 

punchier; punchiest

1

a

: having punch : forceful, spirited

The collection is strong on punchy, memorable music and weak on lyrics.

—People Weekly

He leans abruptly forward and speaks with the punchy emphasis of an inveterate politician.

—Bill Bryson

b

: vivid, vibrant

These punchy colors glide on and blend easily into mere hints of color.

—Elle

c

: zesty

It is an elegant dish, although the sauce seems overly polite now. I remember it when the fresh coriander was an intense and punchy flavor.

—Caroline Bates

2

: dazed, punch-drunk

… I arrived in Paris after a thirteen-hour flight, unwashed, unshaved, punchy from jet lag, discombobulated …

—David Berlinski

Synonyms

• addle
• addled
• addlepated
• bedeviled
• befogged
• befuddled
• bemused
• bewildered
• bushed [chiefly Australian]
• confounded
• confused
• dazed
• distracted
• dizzy
• dopey
• dopy
• fogged
• mixed-up
• muddleheaded
• muzzy
• pixilated
• pixillated
• punch-drunk
• raddled
• shell-shocked
• silly
• slaphappy
• spaced-out
• spaced
• spacey
• spacy
• stunned
• stupefied
• zonked
• zonked-out

Examples of punchy in a Sentence

shrimp in a punchy sauce

She was punchy with fatigue.

Recent Examples on the Web

Or go for baked French feta with marinated olives and a punchy jalapeño basil oil; the classic Lula ‘99 turkey sandwich layered with avocado, lettuce, and chili oil; or this writer’s favorite warming chickpea and fennel tagine with spiced green harissa and sweet golden raisins. —Ari Bendersky, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024

Externally, Fessenden delivers some old-fashioned verve to Charley’s handful of transformations: punchy editing, harsh sound, freaky practical effects and Hurt’s physical, raging-drunk abandon under garish mask work. —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2024

Garland balances this punchy tone with shockingly gory images of torture, lynchings, bodies in the streets, mass graves, firing squads. —Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 11 Apr. 2024

Rooted in cottagecore, these mini-blooms are a far cry from the blousy florals of chintz or the punchy flowers of pop art. —Monika Biegler Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Apr. 2024

Naver’s lack of a punchy, clear growth strategy is especially worrisome in the AI age, when Naver faces U.S. companies that are investing billions in the technology. —Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024

These are Hollywood level-productions, slick, punchy and incredibly damning. —Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2024

The best are permeated with punchy sauce that numbs the lips and warms the palate. —Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024

During testing, Edmunds noted its punchy acceleration that made it among the quickest in its class. —Nick Kurczewski, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1a