punchy

adjective

ˈpən-chē 

punchier; punchiest

1

a

: having punch : forceful, spirited

The collection is strong on punchy, memorable music and weak on lyrics.

—People Weekly

He leans abruptly forward and speaks with the punchy emphasis of an inveterate politician.

—Bill Bryson

b

: vivid, vibrant

These punchy colors glide on and blend easily into mere hints of color.

—Elle

c

: zesty

It is an elegant dish, although the sauce seems overly polite now. I remember it when the fresh coriander was an intense and punchy flavor.

—Caroline Bates

2

: dazed, punch-drunk

… I arrived in Paris after a thirteen-hour flight, unwashed, unshaved, punchy from jet lag, discombobulated …

—David Berlinski

Synonyms

• addle
• addled
• addlepated
• bedeviled
• befogged
• befuddled
• bemused
• bewildered
• bushed [chiefly Australian]
• confounded
• confused
• dazed
• distracted
• dizzy
• dopey
• dopy
• fogged
• mixed-up
• muddleheaded
• muzzy
• pixilated
• pixillated
• punch-drunk
• raddled
• shell-shocked
• silly
• slaphappy
• spaced-out
• spaced
• spacey
• spacy
• stunned
• stupefied
• zonked
• zonked-out

Examples of punchy in a Sentence

shrimp in a punchy sauce

She was punchy with fatigue.

Recent Examples on the Web

Its punchy exterior is matched with an inside that’s just as nice, featuring slip and zip pockets for a wallet, pens, lip gloss, and more. —Morgan Ashley Parker, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2024

The 16-inch matte display delivers punchy color despite its anti-glare coating, and the keyboard, while being a bit mushy, is still comfortable to type on. —PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024

Drizzle it on pizza, pasta, meat or salad for an addictively punchy finish. —Isabelle Kliger, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

The modern fireplace is balanced by the pattern play and punchy upholstery in front. —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 20 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1a