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

Gingerbread Christmas cookie wine pairing: Moscatel With punchy flavors like molasses, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, gingerbread isn’t shy. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Dec. 2024

Rendered in a punchy palette of cream, hot pink, cobalt blue, and highlighter yellow, the fashion-forward topper has two roomy pockets and a quarter button-up silhouette. —Kelsey Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 18 Dec. 2024

The ones that come in the punchiest colors—dark leafy greens, berries, apples, tomatoes, carrots—are especially loaded with phytochemicals (a.k.a. plant chemicals) like polyphenols and carotenoids, which are powerhouse antioxidants. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 18 Dec. 2024

Short, punchy tweets on your topic can make perfect LinkedIn comments. —Jodie Cook, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1a