Meaning
prickly, biting, sharp
- Sharp or thorny; causing physical pricking.
- Bitterly cold (wind, air).
- Caustic, sarcastic, or biting (remark, wit, criticism).
In a sentence
Un vento pungente soffiava lungo le strade deserte della città.
A biting wind blew along the deserted streets of the city.
Il critico ha fatto un commento pungente sulla qualità della sceneggiatura.
The critic made a sharp remark about the quality of the script.
Questa pianta non ha spine pungenti, quindi puoi toccarla tranquillamente.
This plant doesn't have prickly thorns, so you can touch it safely.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| pungente | masculine · singular |
| pungente | feminine · singular |
| pungenti | masculine · plural |
| pungenti | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Originally the present participle of 'pungere' (to sting, prick).
- Widely used figuratively for bitter weather ('freddo pungente') or sharp sarcasm ('ironia pungente').