pungent aroma
Strong, biting scent
A pungent aroma is a strong, sharp smell that hits the nose with intensity—sometimes pleasantly, sometimes not.
The phrase often describes foods like aged cheese, garlic, or fermented fish, but applies to any smell with bite: The pungent aroma of ammonia filled the cleaning closet.
Pungent suggests the smell almost stings.
- durianMalodorous tropical fruit
- stinky tofuFermented bean curd dish
- acridUnpleasantly sharp-smelling
- garlicPungent culinary bulb
- burnt garlicOvercooked aromatic bulb
onion · biting · sharp · vinegar · horseradish · aversion · mustard · piquant · fermented · asafoetida · irritation · ammonia · sulfur · rotten eggs · fish sauce · tangy · stinging · eye watering