piquant C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈpikənt/ UK /ˈpiːkənt/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj pleasantly sharp or appetizing in taste, or stimulating to the mind The sauce had a piquant blend of lime and chili. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · pleasantly sharp or... spicypungenttangyzestysavorystimulatingprovocativeracy ↔ Opposites blandinsipiddulltasteless Word family Forms piquancy Derived forms piquantlypiquancy Related forms piquepiqué Etymology AI details From French piquant ('stinging, pricking'), present participle of piquer ('to prick, sting'), of imitative or uncertain origin. piquer Middle French View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # piquant **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈpikənt/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈpiːkənt/ ## Meanings 1. pleasantly sharp or appetizing in taste, or stimulating to the mind ## Examples - The sauce had a piquant blend of lime and chili. ## Synonyms - spicy - pungent - tangy - zesty - savory - stimulating - provocative - racy ## Antonyms - bland - insipid - dull - tasteless ## Derived Forms - piquantly - piquancy ## Related Forms - pique - piqué ## Roots and Affixes - Root: piquer ## Etymology From French piquant ('stinging, pricking'), present participle of piquer ('to prick, sting'), of imitative or uncertain origin. ## AI Etymology Piquant is from French piquant ('stinging, pricking'), present participle of piquer ('to prick, sting'), of imitative or uncertain origin. Important recorded forms include piquer (Middle French). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. Its deeper history remains uncertain, with proposed links left as possibilities rather than a single settled derivation. The current sense covers pleasantly sharp or appetizing in taste, or stimulating to the mind. The wider family includes derived forms such as piquantly and piquancy and related words such as pique and piqué. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown