punchier; punchiest
1
a
: having punch : forceful, spirited
The collection is strong on punchy, memorable music and weak on lyrics.People Weekly
He leans abruptly forward and speaks with the punchy emphasis of an inveterate politician.Bill Bryson
b
: vivid, vibrant
These punchy colors glide on and blend easily into mere hints of color.Elle
c
: zesty
It is an elegant dish, although the sauce seems overly polite now. I remember it when the fresh coriander was an intense and punchy flavor.Caroline Bates
2
: dazed, punch-drunk
… I arrived in Paris after a thirteen-hour flight, unwashed, unshaved, punchy from jet lag, discombobulated …David Berlinski

Examples of punchy in a Sentence

shrimp in a punchy sauce She was punchy with fatigue.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Guitarist Sol Philcox-Littlefield and steel guitarist Dan Dugmore split the solo, and Dugmore threw in short, punchy fills that gave it a Brooks & Dunn-like swagger. Tom Roland, Billboard, 31 July 2025 The drivers are amplified with 160W of peak power to provide punchy delivery to music, movies and games. Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025 What should be tight, punchy notes are slogging and muddied. PC Magazine, 29 July 2025 Bottega Veneta designed a clutch with braided and croc-embossed leather details; Chloé stamped a circular silhouette with its moniker; meanwhile, The Row debuted a punchy emerald green tote in the warm-weather appropriate fabric. Kelsey Stewart, refinery29.com, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for punchy

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of punchy was in 1907

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Cite this Entry

“Punchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punchy. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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