piquant
pi·quant/ˈpiːkənt/adjective
piquant is spelled P-I-Q-U-A-N-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables (pi·quant). It appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 72,332nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, piquant means “Stimulating to the senses; engaging; charming” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in piquant?
| Letters | 7: P-I-Q-U-A-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: pi·quant |
| In writing | about once in every 6 million words; the 72,332nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is piquant?
Piquant appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 72,332nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce piquant?
- /ˈpiːkənt/
- /ˈpiːˌkɑːnt/
- /piːˈkɑːnt/
Piquant has 2 syllables, split pi·quant in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-piquant_01.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of piquant
- more piquant comparative
- most piquant superlative
- piquante
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does piquant mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
archaicCausing hurt feelings; scathing, severe.
- 2
Stimulating to the senses; engaging; charming.
- 3
Favorably stimulating to the palate; pleasantly spicy; tangy.
- 4
Producing a burning sensation due to the presence of chilies or similar spices; spicy, hot.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Piquant in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Portuguese | chamativo, interessante |
| French | piquant |
| German | pikant |
| Spanish | picante |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does piquant come from?
Borrowed from Middle French piquant (“pricking, stimulating, irritating”), present participle of piquer, possibly from Old French pikier (“to prick, sting, nettle”). Doublet of picong. Related to pike.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).