punchy

adjective

ˈpən-chē 

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

Synonyms

• addle
• addled
• addlepated
• bedeviled
• befogged
• befuddled
• bemused
• bewildered
• bushed [chiefly Australian]
• confounded
• confused
• dazed
• distracted
• dizzy
• dopey
• dopy
• fogged
• mixed-up
• muddleheaded
• muzzy
• pixilated
• pixillated
• punch-drunk
• raddled
• shell-shocked
• silly
• slaphappy
• spaced-out
• spaced
• spacey
• spacy
• stunned
• stupefied
• zonked
• zonked-out

Examples of punchy in a Sentence

shrimp in a punchy sauce

She was punchy with fatigue.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Lotus Elan-like MX-5 appeared in 1989 with its wonderful pop-up headlights, small dimensions, lightweight bodywork and punchy engine. —Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Some rooms have balconies, and all have the same kind of punchy preppy style as The Mansion rooms, with lots of stripes and florals in shades of blue. —Beth Luberecki, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024

Apart from its gorgeous aesthetics, the tab's got a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset, punchy speakers, and clean OnePlus Android skin. —Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 8 Oct. 2024

The essay’s many short, declarative sentences gave off a punchy, defiant vibe. —Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1a