1
as in spicy
having a powerfully stimulating odor or flavor
a pungent chili that is not for those with timid taste buds
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2
as in satirical
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
a pungent put-down that she will not soon forget
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in piquant
sharp and pleasantly stimulating to the mind or senses
a newspaper columnist known for his pungent observations on everyday life
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Recent Examples of pungent
From November through February, when the elusive fungi are especially pungent, guests learn about America’s flourishing truffle market and the importance of domestic cultivation, as Luca’s nose helps unearth Black Périgords and Kentucky Winter White Truffles, a native variety discovered in 2020.
—
Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Swift kept experimenting to make her music more pungent, more extreme, even more her.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
In addition to security concerns, Sun Fresh spent a significant amount of time and resources working to locate a pungent sewage smell many customers complained about.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 Aug. 2025
The spicy jerk chicken had a marinated sauce that gave it a pungent hotness.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pungent
Nicholas Derenzo, AFAR Media, 16 Sep. 2025
Swift kept experimenting to make her music more pungent, more extreme, even more her.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
In addition to security concerns, Sun Fresh spent a significant amount of time and resources working to locate a pungent sewage smell many customers complained about.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 Aug. 2025
The spicy jerk chicken had a marinated sauce that gave it a pungent hotness.
—Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pungent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pungent
Adjective
-
Glade Plug-In Apple Cinnamon Refills, 5-Pack This fragrance is a little sweet, a little spicy, and 100 percent comforting — definitely not your typical overpowering air freshener.—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Rally’s is launching two new spicy Western-style burgers in California.—
Carlos Rico,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The tequila daisy cocktail, served in a clay cantarito cup smudged with sumac salt, is piquant with ancho verde, mellowed with summer strawberry.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
His piquant style of writing in the unfinished tell-all feels like dropping into a gossip circle in the most glamorous (and cutting) powder room on the planet.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In parts of the Northeast and beyond, Sour Patch Kids emerged as a top pick with Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Texas showing a clear preference for the tangy, chewy candy.—
Diana Leyva,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The chips, including the original flavor waffle potato chips and Chick-fil-A sauce flavor waffle potato chips with a tangy and slightly sweet flavor, will be available at Publix, Walmart and Kroger locations.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
To be fair, some of the comments are also satirical.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
An effort last year to have the satirical site The Onion purchase Infowars through an auction process was initially rejected by a judge.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Directed by Seryeong Jeong, this poignant drama reveals how empathy can bloom even in darkness.—
Essie Assibu,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Gypsy had originally been adopted from the same shelter years before, making her return especially poignant for staff and volunteers.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Politically, the affluence manifested in Long Island establishing itself as a bastion of the Republican Party, showing strong support for Hoover in his doomed Presidential campaign against Roosevelt.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, Chinese stories have increasingly included nods to Chinese nationalist (not just communist) soldiers fighting bravely, thus placing a strong, victorious, and morally righteous China at the forefront of the postwar global order.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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As a model named Carl, stuck in a relationship corrupted by microcelebrity and Instagram view counts, Dickinson ticks with exasperation and sarcastic logic, his jaw clenched, his eyes wide and staring.—
Carrie Battan,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Following the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai Gilmore, played by Lauren Graham, and Rory, played by Alexis Bledel, Gilmore Girls was perfectly made for millennials, packed with wistful romances, frustrating dramatic turns and just enough sarcastic jokes.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Give your slow-cooker the night off because this fan-favorite chili relies on the Instant Pot for a quick and delicious option.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
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The local food scene has been heating up with dozens of delicious Indian restaurants.—
Chyna Blackmon,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pungent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pungent. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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