What does pungent mean?
Word: Pungent
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Pungent means having a strong, sharp smell or taste that you notice at once.
How do you spell pungent?
Syllables: pun - gent
Tricky part: The j sound in the middle is spelt with a g, not a j, which is why punjent is the usual slip.
Watch out for: punjent, pugent
Memory tip: Magic, giant and gym all show that a plain g can make this j sound, so no j is needed.
Pungent in a sentence
Example 1: The pungent smell of vinegar stung my nose as I opened the pickle jar.
Example 2: A pungent whiff of wet paint hung about the corridor.
Example 3: Old cheese can be quite pungent, but some people love it.
Fun Fact
The word comes from a Latin verb meaning to prick, so a pungent smell is one that seems to jab at your nose.
Practise the CREST Way
Sound Check
In which word is 'g' pronounced differently?
a) engine
b) gentle
c) pungent
d) gift
Show answer
d) gift. Gift has the hard g of goat; the others have the soft sound of jam.
Word Champ
Read the statements and choose the correct option:
1. Freshly cut onions can give off a pungent smell. 2. A pungent dish has almost no flavour at all. 3. Mustard oil has a sharp, pungent odour.
a) all three are true
b) only 1 and 3 are true
c) only 2 and 3 are true
d) only 1 and 2 are true
Show answer
b) only 1 and 3 are true. A pungent dish is strong, not flavourless, so statement 2 is false.
Jumble Tumble
Which option has letters that you can rearrange to form a word describing a strong smell?
a) tgnepum
b) tgnpun
c) tgnepuna
d) tgnepun
Show answer
d) tgnepun. The other three each differ from the word by one letter.
Spell Probe
Find the misspelt word in the sentence and choose its meaning:
The pungant smell of roasting chillies drifted out of the kitchen and reached the neighbours across the courtyard.
a) sharp enough to sting the nose
b) people who live next door or close by
c) hot fruits of a plant, used to flavour food
d) an open space with walls or buildings around it
Show answer
a) sharp enough to sting the nose. Pungent is the word written wrongly: its second vowel should be e.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What do people most often describe as pungent?
a) plain water
b) fresh milk
c) boiled rice
d) crushed garlic
Show answer
d) crushed garlic
2. In the market, Leela said the dried fish was pungent. What did she most likely do?
a) counted the pieces left on the tray
b) stopped to admire its bright colours
c) picked it up to feel how soft it was
d) held her nose and walked quickly past
Show answer
d) held her nose and walked quickly past
