as in spice
the quality or state of being stimulating to the mind or senses
a talk show host known for the quickness and piquancy of his wit I appreciated the piquancy of the peppers in the sauce
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Recent Examples of piquancy
Tender chunks of pork shoulder are braised in an aromatic broth of onions, garlic, serrano chiles and, most notably, green Hatch chiles, which cut through the rich stew with their distinctive piquancy.
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Ben Mims, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2023
While its distinctive piquancy might throw some off, that very taste is what keeps it on the South Korean table week after week.
—Violet Kim, CNN, 28 June 2023
European and North American audiences and critics, however, wanted exotic national character and the piquancy of folk art from South America, particularly from its women, who were considered even more charmingly unmodern in their emotionality and direct rapport with land and hearth.
—Laura Kolbe, The New York Review of Books, 23 Apr. 2020
Sturgis plays up the piquancy.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for piquancy
Ben Mims, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2023
While its distinctive piquancy might throw some off, that very taste is what keeps it on the South Korean table week after week.
—Violet Kim, CNN, 28 June 2023
European and North American audiences and critics, however, wanted exotic national character and the piquancy of folk art from South America, particularly from its women, who were considered even more charmingly unmodern in their emotionality and direct rapport with land and hearth.
—Laura Kolbe, The New York Review of Books, 23 Apr. 2020
Sturgis plays up the piquancy.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2021
See All Example Sentences for piquancy
Cite this Entry
“Piquancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piquancy. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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