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

• dazed
• confused
• bewildered
• distracted
• dizzy
• stunned

Examples of punchy in a Sentence

shrimp in a punchy sauce

She was punchy with fatigue.

Recent Examples on the Web

Dialogue stays crisp for late-night Netflix, and game audio feels punchy without rattling the shelves. —Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025

To begin the new campaign with punchy graphics—think models dressed in creative and funky wares placed in inventive ways on a white backdrop, with the tagline appearing throughout, covering its exterior and interior walls. —Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

By the early 2000s, Rolling Stone seemed overly preoccupied with Boomer artists of fading vitality; Spin, while containing punchy criticism, was a glossy consumer magazine inflected by celebrity and fashion. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025

Jennette McCurdy knows a thing or two about punchy book titles. —Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for punchy

• crunchy