Can 'pungent' be used for any strong, bad smell, or only for a specific type (the smell of onions, etc.) ? Do rotten eggs, for example, smell pungently?
From the Merriam-Webster dictionary (it's a good dictionary, I suppose):
Definition of pungent:
1: sharply painful
2: having a stiff and sharp point pungent leaves (I don't understand this sentence)
3a: marked by a sharp incisive quality : caustic a pungent critic pungent language (I don't understand the second part)
3b: causing a sharp or irritating sensation especially : acrid
4a: having an intense flavor or odor a pungent chili
4b: being sharp and to the point
Having read these definitions, I still don't understand if one can say that rotten eggs have a pungent smell.
In my opinion pungent can be either pejorative or a form of praise depending on context. After all, we usually know with certainty whether an odor is pleasant or unpleasant.