piquant

adjective

pi·​quant ˈpē-kənt  -ˌkänt 

ˈpi-kwənt

1

: agreeably stimulating to the taste

especially : having a pleasantly pungent, sharp, or spicy taste

a piquant sauce

To start, we pureed cilantro, spinach and a jalapeno in a blender to form a bright, piquant base for cooking the rice.

—Lawman Johnson

2

: engagingly provocative or stimulating

… along the way we learn such piquant details as the fact that the great physicist Michael Faraday knew no math to speak of.

—Tracy Kidder

also : having a lively and often mischievous charm

a piquant sense of humor

piquantly adverb

a piquantly flavorful soup

a piquantly funny novel

piquantness noun

the piquantness of the mustard

Did you know?

Piquant flavors "sting" the tongue and piquant words "prick" the intellect, arousing interest. These varying senses reflect the etymology of the word piquant, which first appeared in English in the 17th century and which derives from the Middle French verb piquer, meaning "to sting" or "to prick." Though first used to describe foods with spicy flavors, the word is now often used to describe things that are spicy in other ways, such as engaging conversation. Have we piqued your curiosity about another piquer offspring? If you’ve already guessed that the verb pique, meaning "to offend" or "to arouse by provocation," comes from piquer, too, you’ve got a sharp mind.

Synonyms

• pert
• poignant
• pungent
• salty
• savory
• savoury
• zesty
• zingy

Choose the Right Synonym for piquant

pungent, piquant, poignant, racy mean sharp and stimulating to the mind or the senses.

pungent implies a sharp, stinging, or biting quality especially of odors.

a cheese with a pungent odor

piquant suggests a power to whet the appetite or interest through tartness or mild pungency.

a piquant sauce

poignant suggests something is sharply or piercingly effective in stirring one's emotions.

felt a poignant sense of loss

racy implies having a strongly characteristic natural quality fresh and unimpaired.

spontaneous, racy prose

Examples of piquant in a Sentence

piquant vegetables seasoned with pepper

He served the fish with a piquant sauce.

a piquant bit of gossip

Recent Examples on the Web

My favorite dish here was a piquant ceviche served with tortilla chips. —Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 7 June 2025

And to think, this pitiless conquistador came to North America as a humble kitchen herb, deliberately imported by European settlers for its piquant flavor. —Zoë Lescaze, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025

Guests enjoyed small bites of briny mussels filled with Bluefin tuna, piquant gochujang sardine toasts, and an elegant Korean beef tartare. —Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 May 2025

The brand contacts bartender Simon Difford for help with an original launch cocktail, and Difford immediately recognizes the capacity of St-Germain to complement the piquant fruit, floral, and mineral qualities in white wine. —Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 10 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, from present participle of piquer

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

piquant

adjective

pi·​quant ˈpē-kənt  -ˌkänt 

1

: agreeably stimulating to the taste

especially : spicy sense 1

2

: pleasingly exciting

a piquant bit of gossip

piquantly adverb