Synonyms of piquant

piquant

adjective

ˈpē-kənt 

as in spicy

sharp and pleasantly stimulating to the mind or senses

a piquant tidbit of information about the new neighbors

the piquant cuisine of India boasts some highly spiced dishes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spicy
• pungent
• poignant
• savoury
• zesty
• delicious
• savory
• salty
• pert
• biting
• fascinating
• zingy
• provocative
• peppery
• interesting
• vinegary
• acute
• trenchant
• flavorful
• racy
• exciting
• hot
• provoking
• intriguing
• enlightening
• fiery
• mordant
• delectable
• scrumptious
• appetizing
• tasty
• toothsome
• energizing
• keen
• gripping
• galvanizing
• luscious
• absorbing
• ambrosial
• engrossing
• riveting
• enthralling
• gingery
• cutting
• engaging
• bitter
• invigorating
• palatable
• animating
• arresting
• savorous
• piquing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• insipid
• dry
• flat
• tasteless
• predictable
• arid
• tedious
• dull
• banal
• monotonous
• boring
• uninteresting
• ponderous
• drab
• leaden
• wearisome
• humdrum
• barren
• thin
• colorless
• stale
• dreary
• zestless
• weak
• numbing
• stodgy
• pedestrian
• flavorless
• tiring
• bland
• savorless
• dilute
• watery
• wearying

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective piquant contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of piquant are poignant, pungent, and racy. While all these words mean "sharp and stimulating to the mind or the senses," piquant suggests a power to whet the appetite or interest through tartness or mild pungency.

a piquant sauce

In what contexts can poignant take the place of piquant?

Although the words poignant and piquant have much in common, poignant suggests something is sharply or piercingly effective in stirring one's emotions.

felt a poignant sense of loss

When is it sensible to use pungent instead of piquant?

The synonyms pungent and piquant are sometimes interchangeable, but pungent implies a sharp, stinging, or biting quality especially of odors.

a cheese with a pungent odor

When might racy be a better fit than piquant?

The words racy and piquant can be used in similar contexts, but racy implies having a strongly characteristic natural quality fresh and unimpaired.

spontaneous, racy prose

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of piquant

Here, from the February 21, 1925, issue, are some particularly piquant reminders of shows past. —The New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2025

Their piquant sensitivity and horror have no equal in Millennial literature and journalism, which have become merely, rabidly politicized — so very socialist and anti-American that today’s media throws its hands up at the L.A. conflagration. —Armond White, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025

The dish: Try the perfectly toasty Traditional Beef empanada, its filling dotted with piquant Kalamata olives and sweet raisins, with a side of chimichurri. —Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025

Raw tuna is often presented in ways that emphasize its subtlety and richness; here, instead, all those piquant, pickly bits seem to give the fish’s oceanic sweetness permission to flex and flow, revealing its character the way a few drops of water open up a rare single malt. —Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025

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