punchy

adjective \ ˈpən-chē \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Examples: punchy in a Sentence

Definition of punchy

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

See punchy defined for English-language learners

Examples of punchy in a Sentence

shrimp in a punchy sauce
She was punchy with fatigue.

Recent Examples of punchy from the Web

Its turbocharged 2-liter 4-cylinder with 228 horsepower is punchy enough to coax a smile out of even the most dour of souls.

— tom voelk, New York Times, "26 Vehicles Played in the Mud. Here’s the Dirt.," 12 July 2018
And unlike my grain bowl or other meal-planning attempts, I’m not bored by it yet, because the flavors have remained punchy and none of the ingredients have gotten sad and wilted.

— madeleine aggeler, The Cut, "Chrissy Teigen and I Would like You to Try This Sheet-Pan Meal," 29 June 2018
If there weren’t the V-8 for comparison, the V-6 would feel punchy enough, and in sport plus mode the rear-drive waggles under that combined 350 pound-feet of torque.

— robert duffer, chicagotribune.com, "2018 Lexus LC500h review: How to neuter a sports car into a hybrid," 27 Mar. 2018
Despite being a punchy lyricist, Fab's penchant for ladies tracks continues to be hallmark of his.

— carl lamarre, Billboard, "Fabolous & Ty Dolla $ign Team Up For Summer Banger 'Ooh Yea': Listen," 13 July 2018
More functional is Crosley’s Wall Phone ($70, crosleyradio.com), which can be mounted in a kitchen as a punchy visual statement—and a convenient way to chat while cooking while your smartphone is charging in the other room.

— paul schrodt, WSJ, "Why the Landline Phone Will Never Go Away," 5 July 2018
Part of this balancing act was avoiding punchy colors and opting instead for a palette of soft earth tones inspired by lake rocks that Carson brought back from her home state of Michigan and stacked into nesting piles.

— danielle fox, ELLE Decor, "A Feminine—And Feminist—Apartment in Hell’s Kitchen Goes Big," 21 May 2018
Regularly experimenting with a bold red lip or metallic punchy eyeshadow, the actress is well versed in the art of matching beauty and sartorial statements—whether walking the red carpet or pounding the Manhattan streets.

— jenna rennert, Vogue, "How Priyanka Chopra Turned Royal Wedding Day Makeup on Its Head," 19 May 2018
The brand known for punchy eye makeup just released this summer eye shadow palette that will take you more than the season's length to go through every possible eye makeup creation combination with these 21 vibrant and bold shades.

— allure editors, Allure, "The Best New Beauty Products This Month," 9 July 2018

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

First Known Use of punchy

1907

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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punchy Synonyms

Phrases

at sea, out of it;

PUNCHY Defined for English Language Learners

punchy

adjective

Definition of punchy for English Language Learners

: very exciting or lively

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