as in spicy
sharp and pleasantly stimulating to the mind or senses
a piquant tidbit of information about the new neighbors the piquant cuisine of India boasts some highly spiced dishes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of piquant
And here’s the piquant spoiler: To a man, the three list Baeza high in their picks.
—
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The sauce is a piquant blend of tomato and vinegar that complements the pork shoulder.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025
But none of these things feels piquant in this production.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
In addition to an extended flowering season and piquant fragrance, catmints attract lots of pollinators and deter deer.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piquant
Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The sauce is a piquant blend of tomato and vinegar that complements the pork shoulder.
—Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025
But none of these things feels piquant in this production.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2025
In addition to an extended flowering season and piquant fragrance, catmints attract lots of pollinators and deter deer.
—Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for piquant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piquant
Adjective
-
Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool across seven days from the end of November looks particularly spicy.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
-
Both of our children were a week past their due dates… so when spicy food, all that walking, and acupuncture didn’t work - there was only one thing left to do!—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
In a different context, the same pungent word applied to his devastating 2 a.m. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.—
Rich Lowry,
National Review,
23 June 2025
-
That goes for bars of pungent soap, essential oils, sonic repellant devices, and hanging up pennies in bags of water, a favorite Internet myth.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
It has been widely considered one of the most poignant tracks in Yungblud’s catalog to date.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
20 June 2025
-
On June 18, The Baltimore Sun published a very moving and poignant editorial cartoon showing a picture of Minnesota with the state’s eastern border as the silhouette of a weeping Uncle Sam.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
Berry tarts and zesty lemon cookies amplify the lemonade’s freshness without overpowering it.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2025
-
There’s much talk about preparation, experimentation and the ways that Matsuhisa broke new ground, blending zesty Peruvian ingredients with otherwise rigid Japanese cuisine.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
Two of them—Bertha Russell on The Gilded Age and Gloria Burgle on Fargo—have earned her Emmy nominations, and that number seems likely to grow thanks to her delicious performance as Laurie, an uptight workaholic in the midst of a midlife crisis in The White Lotus season three.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
23 June 2025
-
In the French Quarter, The Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton offer lush massages, facials, body scrubs, and mani/pedis, plus access to their swimming pool and hot tub for a delicious soak.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Available in the brand’s cheery Blueberry and Raspberry colors, the lightweight pan is made from aluminized steel for even browning and has a dual-layered nonstick ceramic coating that helps sweet and savory bakes slide right out.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
26 June 2025
-
Each bite is packed with sweet and savory tomato flavor that's complemented by the salty feta cheese.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
The team found that salinity plays a key role in the kind of life a pond can host: Ponds that were more brackish or salty had more similar communities, which differed from those in ponds with fresher waters.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
That combo hits all the right notes—salty, sour, spicy, and warm.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Piquant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piquant. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share