pungent
adjective
[ ˈpʌn(d)ʒ(ə)nt ]
• having a sharply strong taste or smell.
• "the pungent smell of frying onions"
Similar:
strong,
powerful,
pervasive,
penetrating,
suffocating,
stifling,
sharp,
acrid,
acid,
sour,
biting,
stinging,
burning,
smarting,
irritating,
nauseating,
nauseous,
sickly,
offensive,
astringent,
bitter,
fetid,
cloying,
mephitic,
tart,
vinegary,
tangy,
highly flavoured,
aromatic,
spicy,
spiced,
piquant,
peppery,
hot,
fiery,
Origin:
late 16th century (in the sense ‘very painful or distressing’): from Latin pungent- ‘pricking’, from the verb pungere .
