punchier; punchiest
1
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
Caroline Bates2
: dazed, punch-drunk
… I arrived in Paris after a thirteen-hour flight, unwashed, unshaved, punchy from jet lag, discombobulated …—David Berlinski
David BerlinskiExamples of punchy in a Sentence
shrimp in a punchy sauce
She was punchy with fatigue.
Recent Examples on the Web
The piquant dish is lacquered with strawberry-guajillo barbecue sauce, while a punchy coleslaw with Fresno chile vinaigrette rounds things out.
—Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Backstage hologram continues to sharpen the edges of kuru’s music, with punchier low end and brattier energy that occasionally resembles the moshpit-ready rage rap pushed by contemporaries like Prettifun and Nettspend.
—Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
The report names lilac as a versatile color that can be played up for a punchy, trend-forward look or washed down for a vintage aesthetic.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 30 Apr. 2026
Some of the decor was heavy and dated—a former owner loved wallpaper patterns and punchy paint—but the overall impression was inviting.
—Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punchy
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Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Backstage hologram continues to sharpen the edges of kuru’s music, with punchier low end and brattier energy that occasionally resembles the moshpit-ready rage rap pushed by contemporaries like Prettifun and Nettspend.
—Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026
The report names lilac as a versatile color that can be played up for a punchy, trend-forward look or washed down for a vintage aesthetic.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 30 Apr. 2026
Some of the decor was heavy and dated—a former owner loved wallpaper patterns and punchy paint—but the overall impression was inviting.
—Kelly Dawson, Architectural Digest, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for punchy
Cite this Entry
“Punchy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punchy. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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