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

The engine behind the Q1’s sound, the PM1+ is responsible for the texture and characteristics behind the Q1’s signature sound that offers a combination of clarity, speed and punchy bass. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

With her punchy vocal delivery, Fleet lights up her bandmates’ mathy post-punk and charmingly imperfect synths with stories about costume contests, downtrodden characters, and clinging to perseverance. —Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2024

Sweet, downcast vocal performances vastly outnumber the raps, and there are punchy New Wave, goth-rock, folk, and grunge tunes where somber, gauzy trap productions once reigned. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2024

Paired with shredded coconut and infused with the punchy flavors of fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and plenty of lime, this plant protein has become a new essential for me. —Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appétit, 1 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1a