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

There’s also wireless charging out of the box now, a new wax-guard, and a punchy, limited-edition Deep Plum colourway. —Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 14 June 2025

The available premium Bose 12-speaker sound system is rich and punchy. —Josh Max, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025

The Apple AirPods 4 are now available for $99 only and bring punchy bass, clean sound, and instant iPhone pairing without the bulk of in-ear tips or extra setup. —Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 9 June 2025

While the last release featured a punchy bright green hue and butter yellow, the newest collection includes a vibrant royal blue and an invigorating magenta tone. —Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 3 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for punchy

• crunchy