Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pungent

/ˈpʌnd͡ʒənt/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.91 in modern English

Syllables: pun-gent
IPA: /ˈpʌnd͡ʒənt/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Having a strong odor that stings the nose; said especially of acidic or spicy substances.

adj

Having a strong taste that stings the tongue; said especially of hot (spicy) food, which has a strong and sharp or bitter taste.

adj

Stinging; acerbic.

adj

Having a sharp and stiff point.

Example Sentences

"I accidentally dropped the bottle of ammonia and after few seconds, a very pungent stench could be detected."
"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."
"I can almost smell the fir scent... resinous, pungent."
"The critic gave a pungent review."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pungens (stem pungent-), present participle of pungo (“to sting”). Doublet of poignant.

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: pungens

Inflected Forms

more pungent (comparative) most pungent (superlative)

Derived Forms

nonpungent overpungent pungence pungency pungently unpungent

Synonyms

poignant assertive barbed biting nipping mordacious acrid

Questions

How do you pronounce pungent?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpʌnd͡ʒənt/.
What does pungent mean?: Having a strong odor that stings the nose; said especially of acidic or spicy substances.
Where does pungent come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce pungent

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pungent”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpʌnd͡ʒənt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “pungent” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.