pungent

[Milana1]

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?

 

[emsr2d2]

What did you find when you looked up the definition of "pungent" in good dictionaries?

 

[Milana1]

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.

 

[GoesStation]

Definition 4a applies to that case.

 

[probus]

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.