Pungent Meaning
/ˈpʌnd͡ʒənt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjHaving a strong odor that stings the nose; said especially of acidic or spicy substances.
adjHaving a strong taste that stings the tongue; said especially of hot (spicy) food, which has a strong and sharp or bitter taste.
Sentence Examples
Pungent fumes arose from the chemical mixture.
A pungent, salty odor wafted from the kitchen.
CEFR Practice Quiz
A ____ odor coming from the garbage bin made everyone hold their noses.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ smell of garlic and onions filled the kitchen as she began preparing the evening meal.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin pungens (stem pungent-), present participle of pungo (“to sting”). Doublet of poignant.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Pilton Yard, the Lynton & Barnstaple headquarters, has been taken over by a fur trading firm, and would-be trespassers to the old engine-shed are turned back by the pungent odour of heaps of carcases."
— 1951 February, “Notes and News: Lynton & Barnstaple Remains”, in Railway Magazine, page 136:
"I can almost smell the fir scent... resinous, pungent."
— 1991, Paul Chadwick, Concrete: American Christmas, Dark Horse Books:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
A ____ odor coming from the garbage bin made everyone hold their noses.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ smell of garlic and onions filled the kitchen as she began preparing the evening meal.