piquant

adjective

pi·quant | \ ˈpē-kənt

, -ˌkänt; ˈpi-kwənt

Definition of piquant

1 : engagingly provocative also : having a lively arch charm

2 : agreeably stimulating to the taste especially : spicy

Other Words from piquant Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about piquant

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Synonyms & Antonyms for piquant

Synonyms

pert, poignant, pungent, salty, savory (also savoury), zesty, zingy

Antonyms

insipid, zestless

Choose the Right Synonym for piquant

pungent, piquant, poignant, racy mean sharp and stimulating to the mind or the senses. pungent implies a sharp, stinging, or biting quality especially of odors. a cheese with a pungent odor piquant suggests a power to whet the appetite or interest through tartness or mild pungency. a piquant sauce poignant suggests something is sharply or piercingly effective in stirring one's emotions. felt a poignant sense of loss racy implies having a strongly characteristic natural quality fresh and unimpaired. spontaneous, racy prose

Did You Know?

Piquant flavors "sting" the tongue and piquant words "prick" the intellect, arousing interest. These varying senses reflect the etymology of the word piquant, which first appeared in English in the 17th century and which derives from the Middle French verb piquer, meaning "to sting" or "to prick." Though first used to describe foods with spicy flavors, the word is now often used to describe things that are spicy in other ways, such as engaging conversation. Have we piqued your curiosity about another piquer offspring? If you’ve already guessed that the verb pique, meaning "to offend" or "to arouse by provocation," comes from piquer, too, you’ve got a sharp mind.

Examples of piquant in a Sentence

piquant vegetables seasoned with pepper He served the fish with a piquant sauce. a piquant bit of gossip

Recent Examples on the Web

As Undine’s flaky brother, who is writing an epic poem about Br’er Rabbit and oppression, Kevin E. Thorne II gets to unleash some piquant roller-coaster rants; unfortunately, the words in one thematically important spiel are hard to make out. — Celia Wren, Washington Post, "Lynn Nottage’s comic ‘Fabulation’ maps a slide down the social ladder," 28 Aug. 2019 Nearly everything was excellent (creamy jalapeño corn; juicy, piquant Sinaloa chicken; fall-off-the-bone American barbecue-style ribs; tender New York strip steak and a trio of creamy puddings for dessert). — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: A love affair with Michael Mina’s cooking heats up with International Smoke," 22 Aug. 2019 The goings on of the Royal Family can almost always be relied upon to provide a piquant counterpoint to current events in Britain. — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, "The Royal Family Gets Drawn Deeper Into the Brexit Maelstrom," 14 Aug. 2019 The finely focused orchestral playing was an enthralling mix of creamy modern strings with fruit-honeyed winds and piquant brass instruments from Mozart’s time. — Los Angeles Times, "Mozart’s Requiem at the Hollywood Bowl takes on special relevance in tragic times," 7 Aug. 2019 There’s no marinating, and the piquant sauce with comes together while the chicken is on the grill. — Bonnie S. Benwick, The Denver Post, "Fire up your summer with recipes from the season’s new grilling cookbooks," 24 June 2019 Eat the tiny fried bread in one bite to prevent spilling it all over your shirt; the flavors, kept at bay by the most fragile gluten walls, hit you at once — a shattering of crisp bread and an exhilarating dam-break rush of piquant, cold liquid. — Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle, "For the Bay Area’s best chaat, our restaurant critic heads to Sunnyvale," 5 Jan. 2013 Foodies in the area had the chance to sample specials, such as spicy pasta dishes, peppery nuts and popcorn, piquant tacos and salsa, hot wings and spicy desserts. — Karie Angell Luc, chicagotribune.com, "Thousands celebrate the heat, spicy foods during Inferno Fest in Highwood," 27 June 2019 There’s no marinating, and the piquant sauce with comes together while the chicken is on the grill. — Bonnie S. Benwick, The Denver Post, "Fire up your summer with recipes from the season’s new grilling cookbooks," 24 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'piquant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for piquant

piquant

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of piquant

formal

: having a pleasant, spicy taste

: interesting and exciting

See the full definition for piquant in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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piquant

Definition of piquant

Other Words from piquant

Synonyms & Antonyms for piquant

Choose the Right Synonym for piquant

Did You Know?

Examples of piquant in a Sentence

First Known Use of piquant

History and Etymology for piquant

English Language Learners Definition of piquant

piquant

Definition of piquant

Other Words from piquant

Synonyms & Antonyms for piquant

Choose the Right Synonym for piquant

Did You Know?

Examples of piquant in a Sentence

First Known Use of piquant

History and Etymology for piquant

English Language Learners Definition of piquant

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