Piquantly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that pleasantly stimulates the taste buds with a sharp or spicy flavor
2. Describes something as having an agreeable sharpness or zest that excites the palate
3. Expressing a flavor or quality that is agreeably tangy or lively in taste or character

Etymology: Piquantly is a simple formation: the adjective "piquant" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached. The adjective came into English from French, where "piquant" was the present participle of "piquer," meaning "to prick" or "to sting," so a piquant flavour is one that seems to prick the tongue. The adverb follows the same logic, describing something done in that stinging, pleasantly sharp manner. The suffix has a long ancestry of its own. It traces back to a Proto-Germanic element meaning "body" or "form," which combined with another element to mean "like" or "having the form of." In Old English this became "-līċe," which wore down over the centuries to the "-ly" we use today, so "piquantly" is in effect a French-derived word with an English ending added to it.

Synonyms: spicily, tangily, zestfully, flavorfully, aromatically

Antonyms: blandly, dully, insipidly, tastelessly, flatly