pungent

1 having a powerfully stimulating odor or flavor a pungent chili that is not for those with timid taste buds Synonyms nippy, sharp, strong, tangyRelated Words acid, acidic; acrid, bitter, harsh; gingery, hot, peppery, piquant, spicy, tart, zesty, zingy; putrid, rancid, rank, skunky; acute, keen; animating, energizing, exciting, galvanizing, invigorating, provocative; appetizing, delectable, delicious, palatable, toothsome; flavorful, savory (also savoury), tasty; aromatic, redolentNear Antonyms aged, mellow, ripe; gentle, soft; flat, flavorless, insipid; savorless, tasteless, zestless; dilute, thin, watery, weakAntonyms bland, mild, smooth

2 marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings a pungent put-down that she will not soon forget Synonyms acerb, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulous, acrid, barbed, biting, caustic, corrosive, cutting, mordant, sarcastic, sardonic, satiric (or satirical), scalding, scathing, sharp, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, smart-mouthed, snarky, tartRelated Words brisk, cross, sharp-tongued, sour, sourish, spiky (also spikey), tartish; incisive, keen, poignant, trenchant; cynical, dry, ironic (also ironical), wry; facetious, flippant, tongue-in-cheek; acrimonious, bitter, resentful, vitriolic; harsh, rough, severe, stringent; abrupt, blunt, brusque (also brusk), concise, crisp, curt, gruff, pithy, snippety, snippy, succinct, terse; backhanded, insincereNear Antonyms amusing, droll, merry, playful, sportive, waggish; gentle, mild; bland; good-humored, good-natured; diplomatic, polite, smooth, suave, urbane; affable, cordial, genial, gracious, hospitable, sociable

3 sharp and pleasantly stimulating to the mind or senses a newspaper columnist known for his pungent observations on everyday life Synonyms pert, poignant, piquant, salty, savory (also savoury), zesty, zingyRelated Words racy, spicy; fiery, gingery, hot, peppery, vinegary; acute, keen; biting, bitter, cutting, mordant, trenchant; animating, energizing, enlightening, exciting, galvanizing, invigorating, piquing, provocative, provoking; ambrosial, appetizing, delectable, delicious, luscious, palatable, scrumptious, toothsome; flavorful, savorous, tasty; absorbing, arresting, engaging, engrossing, enthralling, fascinating, gripping, interesting, intriguing, rivetingNear Antonyms flat, flavorless, savorless, tasteless; arid, banal, barren, boring, colorless, drab, dreary, dry, dull, flat, humdrum, leaden, monotonous, numbing, pedestrian, ponderous, predictable, stale, stodgy, tedious, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, wearying; bland, dilute, thin, watery, weakAntonyms insipid, zestless