1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
the pungency of the vinegar gives the salad dressing the kick that it needs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spice
the quality or state of being stimulating to the mind or senses
theatergoers have long delighted in the pungency and wit of the play's dialogue
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pungency
Not long ago, the residents of Gowanus, in Brooklyn, began to notice that the smell of their canal, known for its unpleasant odor since the Gilded Age, had reached a new level of pungency.
—
Jake Offenhartz, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Rich, intense, and kissed with the signature pungency of blue cheese, there is nothing quite like a cut of dry-aged beef.
—Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 30 July 2024
The bread’s soft, moist textures contrast with the tiny crunches of cacao nibs, ending with perfect pungency from black cardamom.
—Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 4 June 2024
Leaving the pulp and skin in place give black peppercorns their pungency as opposed to white pepper, whose surrounding pulp and skins have been removed, imparting a milder flavor to this spice.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pungency
Jake Offenhartz, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2024
Rich, intense, and kissed with the signature pungency of blue cheese, there is nothing quite like a cut of dry-aged beef.
—Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 30 July 2024
The bread’s soft, moist textures contrast with the tiny crunches of cacao nibs, ending with perfect pungency from black cardamom.
—Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 4 June 2024
Leaving the pulp and skin in place give black peppercorns their pungency as opposed to white pepper, whose surrounding pulp and skins have been removed, imparting a milder flavor to this spice.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 20 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for pungency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pungency
Noun
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This solid version is similarly lush, infusing a base of rose wax with the signature floral bouquet—think lily, iris, peony, and tons of slightly spice rose—along with vanilla and Tonka bean.—
Deanna Pai,
Vogue,
17 Apr. 2025
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There's an undercurrent of floral honeysuckle and a whisper of cardamom spice.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System relied on contractors reviewing thousands of ER records and categorizing them by cause, including motor vehicle accidents, adverse drug events, firearms, drownings, poisoning, dog bites.—
Will Stone,
NPR,
21 Apr. 2025
-
In Jackson, the battle’s over, and those who suffered bites accept their fate.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The most notable part of this gag was not the joke itself, a standard late-night quip delivered with appropriate piquancy.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
-
The most notable part of this gag was not the joke itself, a standard late-night quip delivered with appropriate piquancy.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Six female celebs — including pop songstress Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King and Jeff Bezos’s fiancée, author Lauren Sánchez — are slated to blast off Monday morning in a Blue Origin rocket headed for the edge of space.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2025
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The Karman Line, located 62 miles above Earth, demarcates the edge of space.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Just don’t forgo the citrus finish—these noodles need their tang.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Apr. 2025
-
If Dan Burn’s goal and elevation to the England squad became the individual story of the weekend and Isak’s goal carried a tang of inevitability — so good, so unstoppable — then Newcastle’s midfield felt like the crux of it.—
George Caulkin,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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After years of research and tasting hundreds of samples around the world, the brand partnered with a winemaker from Australia to create a Pinot Noir with notes of red berries, clove, and balanced acidity.—
Bryce Jones,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Apr. 2025
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Yet who can blame her — for her acidity, her caution, her anger?—
Charles Finch,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Scatter the pistachios over the salad and garnish with additional lemon zest and black pepper.—
Wire Report,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
-
The gin is fresh and assertive on the nose, featuring powerful juniper aromas, followed by citrus zest and cucumber.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The chronology-bending structure gives the show a bittersweet poignancy, with each moment tainted by its inverse.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 2025
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There, a wide playing space where our focus could float, softening in the play’s desert air and in the yearning tenderness of its characters, felt exactly right, and Cromer could conduct with more breath, subtle poignancy, and looseness of grip.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pungency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pungency. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.
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