[syn: pungency, bite, sharpness, raciness]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Pungency \Pun"gen*cy\, n.
The quality or state of being pungent or piercing; keenness;
sharpness; piquancy; as, the pungency of ammonia. "The
pungency of menaces." --Hammond.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
pungency
n 1: wit having a sharp and caustic quality; "he commented with
typical pungency"; "the bite of satire" [syn: pungency,
bite]
2: a strong odor or taste property; "the pungency of mustard";
"the sulfurous bite of garlic"; "the sharpness of strange
spices"; "the raciness of the wine" [syn: pungency, bite,
sharpness, raciness]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
59 Moby Thesaurus words for "pungency":
acerbity, acescency, acidity, acidulousness, acridity, acridness,
astringence, astringency, bitter pill, bitterness, brilliance,
causticity, cleverness, dash, dryness, facetiousness, funniness,
gall, gall and wormwood, greenness, headiness, humorousness,
hyperacidity, jocoseness, jocularity, joking, joshing,
keen-wittedness, keenness, liveliness, nimble-wittedness,
odorousness, pep, piquancy, pleasantry, poignancy,
quick-wittedness, raciness, saltiness, sharpness, smartness,
smelliness, sour, sourishness, sourness, sparkle, spirit,
subacidity, tartishness, tartness, unripeness, unsweetness,
verjuice, verve, vinegariness, vinegarishness, vivacity, vividness,
wittiness