Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Pungent for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Pungent" — adjective, pronounced /ˈpʌndʒənt/, with the stress on "pun".
Narrator: Pungent means having a very strong, sharp smell or taste.
Narrator: In plain English, pungent things really hit your nose.
Narrator: It comes from the Latin pungere, to prick or sting.
Narrator: A common collocation is "pungent smell", which describes an intense odour.
Narrator: It differs from "fragrant", because fragrant is pleasant, while pungent is sharp and can be unpleasant.
Narrator: In a second sense, pungent criticism or wit is sharp and biting.
Narrator: Cooking, chemistry, perfumery and journalism all rely on the word.
Narrator: So remember: pungent smells and words both sting.
Speaker A: What is that smell in the kitchen?
Speaker B: PUNGENT garlic! It comes from the Latin for stinging.
Speaker A: It's making my eyes water.
Speaker B: That's the onions too.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "The cheese had a pungent aroma", a food note. "Pungent smoke filled the room", a fire scene. "Her pungent reviews were feared", a critic.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Pungent is not always negative, so a pungent spice can be a compliment.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Acrid is its cousin, sharp its twin, and strong an alternative — yet pungent keeps its fiery charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "pungent" in AI prompts — useful for food reviews and product labels.
Speaker A: How for food reviews?
Speaker B: Describe flavours.
Prompt: Write a restaurant review sentence describing a pungent blue cheese without sounding negative.
Speaker A: And product labels?
Speaker B: Warn clearly.
Prompt: Write a safety label for a cleaning product with a pungent smell, advising ventilation.
Speaker A: Could it help writers?
Speaker B: Yes, for sensory detail.
Prompt: Describe a busy spice market using pungent smells in two vivid sentences.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: A recipe app.
Prompt: Suggest ways to soften the pungent taste of raw onion in a salad.
Pungent — meaning in Arabic & definition More P courses GL Dictionary