Pungent vs Poignant - What's the difference?
pungent | poignant |
Having a strong odor that stings the nose, said especially of acidic or spicy substances.
* 1991 , , Concrete: American Christmas , Dark Horse Books
Having a strong taste that stings the tongue, said especially of hot (spicy) food, which has a strong and sharp or bitter taste.
Stinging; acerbic.
Having a sharp and stiff point.
(obsolete, of a weapon etc) Sharp-pointed; keen.
* 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , VII:
Incisive; penetrating.
neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant.
Evoking strong mental sensation, to the point of distress; emotionally moving.
(figuratively, of a taste or smell) Piquant, pungent.
Piercing.
(dated, mostly British) Inducing sharp physical pain.
As adjectives the difference between pungent and poignant
is that pungent is having a strong odor that stings the nose, said especially of acidic or spicy substances while poignant is sharp-pointed; keen.pungent
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- The lasagne included plenty of pungent garlic.
- I can almost smell the fir scent… resinous, pungent .
- The critic gave a pungent review.
Derived terms
* pungence * pungentlypoignant
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- His siluer shield, now idle maisterlesse; / His poynant speare, that many made to bleed [...].
- His comments were poignant and witty.
- A poignant reply will garner more credence than hours of blown smoke.
- Flipping through his high school yearbook evoked many a poignant memory of yesteryear.