as in spice
the quality or state of being stimulating to the mind or senses
a talk show host known for the quickness and piquancy of his wit I appreciated the piquancy of the peppers in the sauce
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Recent Examples of piquancy
The most notable part of this gag was not the joke itself, a standard late-night quip delivered with appropriate piquancy.
—
David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
The key to its flavor is a balance of sweet, spice, piquancy and heat, which creates a balanced and addictive bite.
—Lynda Balslev, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024
While there are pops of piquancy in Landon’s script, her direction and the performances (with the exception of Woodard) fail to inspire much more than a shrug.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024
While its distinctive piquancy might throw some off, that very taste is what keeps it on the South Korean table week after week.
—Violet Kim, CNN, 28 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for piquancy
David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
The key to its flavor is a balance of sweet, spice, piquancy and heat, which creates a balanced and addictive bite.
—Lynda Balslev, The Mercury News, 17 June 2024
While there are pops of piquancy in Landon’s script, her direction and the performances (with the exception of Woodard) fail to inspire much more than a shrug.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024
While its distinctive piquancy might throw some off, that very taste is what keeps it on the South Korean table week after week.
—Violet Kim, CNN, 28 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for piquancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piquancy
Noun
-
Cooking with whole spices adds a complex, alluring flavor that permeates both the rice and the meatballs.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Sparkling Orange Nº1, a low-intervention, organic orange (orange colored due to skin contact, no oranges used) bubbly from Alsace that pops with orange peel and juicy peach, then drifts into jasmine, herbs, and gentle spice.—
Lanee Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Toss with extra-virgin olive olive oil to coat and then stir in zest of 1 lemon and season with salt.—
Hailee Catalano,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
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For filling, in a large bowl beat together sugar and lemon zest with a mixer until zest is evenly distributed throughout.—
Jenavieve Christensen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piquancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piquancy. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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