Pungent
/ˈpʌn.dʒənt/noun
Having a strong, sharp smell or taste; sharply irritating or caustic.
Did you know?Pungent comes from Latin pungere, meaning “to prick” or “to sting,” the same ancient idea behind words for piercing pain and sharpness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peug-
“to prick, pierce, or sting”
Latin
Latin
pungere
“to prick, sting, or pierce”
Latin
Latin
pungens
“stinging, pricking”
Middle English
English
pungent
“sharp, piercing, or biting in taste or smell”
Modern English
English
pungent
“having a strong, sharp smell or taste; sharply caustic”