piquant

Meaning

1. Causing hurt feelings; scathing, severe.
2. Stimulating to the senses; engaging; charming.
3. Favorably stimulating to the palate; pleasantly spicy; tangy.
4. Producing a burning sensation due to the presence of chilies or similar spices; spicy, hot.

Synonyms

spicy

savoury

pungent

hot

🥵

interesting

engaging

poignant

sharp

attractive

catchy

alluring

appealing

attracting

catching

conspicuous

endearing

enticing

racy

salty

savory

strong

tempting

zesty

challenging

abusive

gingery

gladsome

groovy

heady

absorbing

captivating

jaunty

juicy

keen

nipping

nippy

peppery

pleasant

pleasing

bitter

biting

stimulation

stirring

satisfactory

vituperous

agreeable

congenial

consonant

sexy

convivial

cosy

cozy

crisp

delectable

acerbic

Hyphenated as

pi‧quant

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpiːkənt/

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French piquant (“pricking, stimulating, irritating”), present participle of piquer, possibly from Old French pikier (“to prick, sting, nettle”). Doublet of picong. Related to pike.