Meaning & use
piquant
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Pleasantly sharp or spicy in taste.
Grammar: Can be used before a noun or after a verb.
Patterns
- a piquant sauce
The piquant sauce woke up the plain chicken.
The cheese has a piquant flavor.
A piquant dressing of lemon and chili.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Interesting and stimulating to the mind in a lively way.
Grammar: Figurative, about writing, wit, or detail.
Patterns
- a piquant detail
Her piquant wit kept the dinner lively.
The book has piquant observations about city life.
A piquant story about a lost cat.
Word forms
| comparative | more piquant |
|---|---|
| superlative | most piquant |
Common combinations
- piquant sauce
- A piquant sauce for the fish.
- piquant flavor
- A piquant flavor of lime.
- piquant wit
- Her piquant wit.
- piquant detail
- A piquant detail made the story memorable.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tangy
- Tangy is more casual and refers to a sharp taste.
- spicy
- Spicy means hot with spices.
- zesty
- Zesty suggests fresh lively flavor.
- pungent
- Pungent often means strong and sometimes unpleasant.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: piquant or pique? piquant or peak?
piquant vs pique
Pique means irritation or to arouse curiosity.
piquant vs peak
Peak means the highest point; it sounds similar.
Practice
A piquant sauce is...
Choose one answer.
Piquant means pleasantly sharp or spicy.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “piquant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.