piquant

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adjective pi·quant \ˈpē-kənt, -ˌkänt; ˈpi-kwənt\

Definition of piquant

1 : engagingly provocative; also : having a lively arch charm
2 : agreeably stimulating to the taste; especially : spicy

piquantly

adverb

piquantness

noun

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piquant was our Word of the Day on 04/16/2012. Hear the podcast!

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 of piquant from the Web

The good-looking writer will always be welcome on television and popular at parties; her story will seem more piquant, her emotional depths deeper.

— kathleen a. flynn, New York Times, "How Is a Debut Novel Like Lizzy Bennet?", 2 June 2017
His piquant pronouncements and observations of the presidential race in 2008 were often captured on YouTube and became popular fodder on political blogs.

— sarah lai stirland, WIRED, "Tim Russert, NBC Washington Bureau Chief, is Dead at 58", 13 June 2008

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'piquant'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

Origin and Etymology of piquant

Middle French, from present participle of piquer

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First Known Use: 1616

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of 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