pungent

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pungens (stem pungent-), present participle of pungo (“to sting”). Doublet of poignant.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pŭnjənt, IPA^(key): /ˈpʌnd͡ʒənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

pungent (comparative more pungent, superlative most pungent)

1. Having a strong odor that stings the nose; said especially of acidic or spicy substances.

   I accidentally dropped the bottle of ammonia and after few seconds, a very pungent stench could be detected.

   • 1951 February, “Notes and News: Lynton & Barnstaple Remains”, in Railway Magazine, page 136:

     Pilton Yard, the Lynton & Barnstaple headquarters, has been taken over by a fur trading firm, and would-be trespassers to the old engine-shed are turned back by the pungent odour of heaps of carcases.

   • 1991, Paul Chadwick, Concrete: American Christmas, Dark Horse Books:

     I can almost smell the fir scent... resinous, pungent.

2. Having a strong taste that stings the tongue; said especially of hot (spicy) food, which has a strong and sharp or bitter taste.
3. (figurative) Stinging; acerbic.

   The critic gave a pungent review.

4. (botany) Having a sharp and stiff point.

Derived terms

• pungence
• pungency
• pungently

Translations

having a strong odour

• Assamese: কেঁহা (kẽha)
• Belarusian: во́стры (be) m (vóstry)
• Bulgarian: остър (bg) (ostǎr)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 刺鼻 (zh) (cìbí)

• Czech: štiplavý, pronikavý, čpavý
• Dutch: scherp (nl), stekend (nl)
• Finnish: pistävä (fi)
• French: âcre (fr)
• German: stechend (de), beißend (de), penetrant (de)
• Greek: δριμύς (el) (drimýs), οξύς (el) (oxýs), αψύς (el) (apsýs)

  Ancient: δριμύς (drimús)

• Hungarian: szúrós szagú, csípős (hu)
• Irish: borb
• Italian: pungente (it), acre (it)
• Latvian: kodīgs, sīvs (lv)
• Maori: kanekane
• Ottoman Turkish: كسكین (keskin)
• Romanian: înțepător (ro)
• Russian: е́дкий (ru) (jédkij), о́стрый (ru) (óstryj)
• Spanish: acre (es)
• Swedish: stickande (sv)
• Thai: ฉุน (th) (chǔn)
• Vietnamese: hăng (vi), gắt (vi)

having a strong flavor

• Bulgarian: пикантен (bg) (pikanten)
• Czech: ostrý (cs), palčivý, výrazný (cs)
• Greek:

  Ancient: δριμύς (drimús)

• Latvian: ass (lv)
• Malayalam: എരിവ് (ml) (erivŭ)
• Ottoman Turkish: كسكین (keskin)
• Romanian: înțepător (ro)
• Sanskrit: तिग्म (sa) (tigma)
• Swedish: skarp (sv)

stinging (remark or critique)

• Czech: kousavý (cs), sžíravý, jizlivý

having a sharp and stiff point

• Belarusian: во́стры (be) m (vóstry)
• Bulgarian: заострен (bg) (zaostren)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 辛辣 (zh) (xīnlà)

• Dutch: scherp (nl)
• French: pointu (fr) m, piquant (fr) m
• Greek: δηκτικός (el) (diktikós), καυστικός (el) (kafstikós)
• Hungarian: éles (hu), árvégű, hegyes (hu), szúrós (hu)
• Italian: salace (it), pungente (it), tagliente (it), mordace (it), caustico (it), sferzante (it)
• Latvian: ass (lv), smails
• Russian: е́дкий (ru) (jédkij), о́стрый (ru) (óstryj)
• Spanish: punzante (es)

Latin

Verb

pungent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of pungō