pungent

English edit

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

pungent (comparative more pungent, superlative most pungent)

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.
Having a strong taste that stings the tongue; said especially of hot (spicy) food, which has a strong and sharp or bitter taste.
(figurative) Stinging; acerbic.
The critic gave a pungent review.
(botany) Having a sharp and stiff point.

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

stinging (remark or critique)

having a sharp and stiff point

pungent