punchy

English

Etymology

From punch +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

punchy (comparative punchier, superlative punchiest)

1. Having a punch; effective; forceful; spirited; vigorous.

   Hyponym: catchy

   • 1975, Billboard, volume 87, number 24, page 50:

     Best cuts: "The Evil Dude," "Kung Fu, Too!" "Mama Love," "New Orleans" (with a punchy vocal by Teresa Brewer).

   • 2005 August 15, Pamela Paul, “The Lady and the Panda”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     Some of the punchiest passages in "The Lady and the Panda" are quotations from Harkness's own writing.

   • 2010, Phil Sutcliffe, AC/DC: High-Voltage Rock ’n’ Roll: The Ultimate Illustrated History, Voyageur Press, published 2011, →ISBN, page 23, column 1:

     Malcolm’s tighter, punchier rhythm tone is consistent with the use of any of these big 100-watters (a Marshall Super Bass would be particularly bold in this department), and this was clearly another key ingredient—partnered with his Filter’Tron-loaded Gretsch—in the unparalleled chunk of the AC/DC rhythm assault.

2. Involving or resembling a punch with the fist.
   • 1992, Jonny Quest (video game review) in Your Sinclair (issue 75, page 16)

     Apart from the problemette with the punchy bits, I've got only one reservation with the game and that's that the tie-in element is a bit shaky to say the least.

   • 2021, Chandler Baker, The Husbands:

     Francine leans down and her body tenses, shoulders reddening as she makes a sharp, punchy gesture. It doesn't look like a couple in love.

3. Behaving or appearing punch-drunk, reacting poorly.

   I was so sleep-deprived I was starting to get punchy.

4. (skiing) Of groomed snow: unable to support the weight of a skier, especially when the skier’s weight is all on one ski, resulting in a ski punching through the surface of the snow.
5. (dated) Short and thick; fat; paunchy.

Derived terms

• punchily
• punchiness

References

• “punchy”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.