Piquant describes a taste that's pleasantly sharp, spicy, or tangy. A piquant salsa has a lively kick that wakes up your taste buds. Pickles taste piquant because of their vinegar and spices. When you bite into something piquant, you notice it immediately: there's a brightness or zing that makes the flavor interesting and memorable.

It's not painfully hot like some spicy foods can be. Instead, it's more like a pleasant tingle or sharpness that makes food exciting rather than overwhelming.

People also use piquant to describe interesting or provocative ideas and stories. A piquant remark in a conversation might be witty and slightly bold, catching everyone's attention. A piquant detail in a mystery novel might be an unexpected clue that makes you suddenly sit up straighter and think, “wait, what?” The word suggests something that stimulates your mind the way spicy food stimulates your tongue.