Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - pungent

 adjective  Etymology: Latin ~-, pungens, present participle of pungere to prick, sting; akin to Latin pugnus fist, pugnare to fight, Greek pygme fist  Date: 1597  1. sharply painful  2. having a stiff and sharp point ~ leaves  3.  a. marked by a sharp incisive quality ; caustic a ~ critic ~ language  b. being sharp and to the point  4.  a. causing a sharp or irritating sensation; especially acrid  b. having an intense flavor or odor a ~ chili  • ~ly adverb Synonyms:  ~, piquant, poignant, racy mean sharp and stimulating to the mind or the senses. ~ implies a sharp, stinging, or biting quality especially of odors a cheese with a ~ 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.