Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for piquant

piquant

[ pee-kuhnt, -kahnt, pee-kahnt ]

adjective

  1. agreeably pungent or sharp in taste or flavor; pleasantly biting or tart:

    a piquant aspic.

    Synonyms: spicy

    Antonyms: insipid

  2. agreeably stimulating, interesting, or attractive:

    a piquant glance.

  3. of an interestingly provocative or lively character:

    a piquant wit.

    Synonyms: clever, sharp

  4. Archaic. sharp or stinging, especially to the feelings.


piquant

/ ˈpiːkənt; -kɑːnt /

adjective

  1. having an agreeably pungent or tart taste
  2. lively or stimulating to the mind


Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈpiquancy, noun
  • ˈpiquantly, adverb

Discover More

Other Words From

  • pi·quan·cy pi·quant·ness noun
  • pi·quant·ly adverb

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of piquant1

First recorded in 1515–25; from French: literally, “pricking” ( pique 1, -ant ); replacing pickante, from Italian piccante

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of piquant1

C16: from French (literally: prickling), from piquer to prick, goad; see pique 1

Discover More

Example Sentences

The actors assembled for “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” — Tracy Lynn Olivera, Awa Sal Secka and Katie Mariko Murray — carve a piquant new niche in the pantheon of stylish trios for this comic Andrews Sisters pastiche.

The more piquant your vinegar, the more oil you’ll need to counter it, but go by what tastes good to you.

A couple of years before, he had applied his special broth of piquant newspaperese to the pages of Spin magazine.

That she also has a West African background, like alleged victim Nafissatou Diallo, only makes her testimony more piquant.

If you hurry, you'll still find sun-kissed yellows, rusty reds, and an orange so piquant you'll want a bite out of it.

What is so piquant here is not the fact that Hillary understands that Obama is president.

Her movements were free, her figure dainty and her repartee, below her mask, more than usually piquant.

Their conversation is certainly tamer and less piquant than that of the American or the French ladies.

The book contains a mass of good material, with original characterization, and is written in a style piquant and clever.

Nothing can be more suave, piquant, and picturesque than the wild and primitive melodies of the songs of Scotland.

Madame Colleville was a Parisian, piquant, winning and pretty, as well as clever and ethereal.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


piquancypique