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tangy

tangy

15 3.6
A strong, pleasantly sour taste like lemon
  • adjective
  • /ˈtæŋɡi/
translation icon : ácido
  • The salad dressing has a tangy taste that really enhances the vegetables.
  • sweet and tangy
  • a tangy sauce
  • a tangy taste

And my nose has picked up a first tangy scent of the sea.

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Examples

  • It would really make my day if you would just try it right now while the lemon cream is still hot and tangy enough to really do its job.

  • Would you like to try our new Princess Pepperoni with tangy Jester Sauce?

  • It's, like, sweet but a little tangy.

  • I hope it's not too tangy.

  • I relish the tangy smell of the oil.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Tangy and hollow and easy to swallow.

  • Together with the tangy tomato sauce, I tried them both on plain rice.

    Blog text (3)
  • The air was tangy with salt and herring.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • From lemon to blueberry, it is guaranteed to be tangy and delicious.

    Blog text (24)
  • It's quite tangy.

Synonyms

sour
vstangy
61 1.0

Having a sharp taste like lemon or vinegar

is the same acidity but felt as enjoyable and bright
acidic
vstangy
4 3.5

Tasting sharp and sour like lemon or vinegar

is sour too but perceived as pleasantly lively rather than clinical
tart
vstangy
3 2.2

Having a sharp, sour taste like a lemon

is similarly sharp but experienced as lively pleasant acidity
piquant
vstangy
3 7.4

A sharp tasty flavor that makes food more interesting

is sharper and more noticeably pleasantly sour rather than just appetizing
vinegary
vstangy
1 5.9

Having a sharp, sour taste or smell

is sour too but felt as tart and pleasantly lively rather than harsh
acid-tasting
vstangy
3.9

Having a sharp, sour taste like lemon or vinegar

is similar acidity but framed as pleasing and lively
acid
vstangy
1.7

Tasting sour and sharp like lemon

is the same sharpness but suggests pleasant bright flavor
sharp-tasting
vstangy
3.9

A strong, slightly sour taste like in aged cheese or salad dressing

is more about pleasant sour brightness than bitterness
acerbic
vstangy
7.9

A sharp sour taste like lemon or grapefruit

is sour too but felt as pleasingly sharp rather than harsh
acidulous
vstangy
9.6

Slightly sour in taste or tone

is stronger and clearly pleasingly acidic rather than mild
acidulent
vstangy
9.9

A little sour in taste like a lemon

is more pronounced sourness and enjoyed for its pleasant sharpness
sour-tasting
vstangy
1.0

Tasting sharp and like lemon or vinegar

is similar but emphasises an agreeable lively sourness
sourish
vstangy
3.4

Has a slightly sharp taste like lemon

is more intense and enjoyed for bright pleasant sourness
sharpish
vstangy
  • UK
6.0

A little strong in taste or smell, like lemon

is more strongly sour and experienced as pleasantly zesty

Antonyms

297 4.4

Not lively and often weak in taste or sound

23 2.0

Food that has a very weak taste and little or no strong flavor

How Tangy

pungent
18 4.8
tangy
15 3.6
zesty
4 4.2

Surface Forms

tangy positive
tangier comparative
tangiest superlative

Morphology

tangy = tang (transparent) = tang + y

Formed regularly from the noun 'tang' plus the adjectival suffix '-y', meaning 'having the quality of a tang (sharp taste)'.

Etymology

Tangy comes from the older English word tang, which meant a strong, sharp taste and was also the name for certain seaweed with a strong flavor. So tangy means having a 'sharp' or 'slightly sour' taste that wakes up your mouth.