punchy en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈpʌnt͡ʃi/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree English punch Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English punchy From punch + -y.
Meanings
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(informal) Having a punch; effective; forceful; spirited; vigorous.
Best cuts: "The Evil Dude," "Kung Fu, Too!" "Mama Love," "New Orleans" (with a punchy vocal by Teresa Brewer).
1975, Billboard, volume 87, number 24, page 50:Some of the punchiest passages in "The Lady and the Panda" are quotations from Harkness's own writing.
2005 August 15, Pamela Paul, “The Lady and the Panda”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 25 Jan 2023: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.
2010, Phil Sutcliffe, AC/DC: High-Voltage Rock ’n’ Roll: The Ultimate Illustrated History, Voyageur Press, published 2011, →ISBN, page 23, column 1:It’s a really great experience: Keys feel punchy with a not too loud clicking and clacking, along with a nice feel when actually pushing the key.
2020 March 20, Jacob Krol, “Apple’s MacBook Air makes a good first impression with strong performance and punchy keys”, in CNN:The show had a considerable footprint on YouTube, but Piker helped it adapt to punchier formats that were better suited to Facebook and Instagram.
2025 March 17, Andrew Marantz, “The Battle for the Bros”, in The New Yorker, →ISSN, archived from the original on 18 Mar 2025:
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(UK, informal, of price offers) ambitiously high, aggressive.
[T]o stand the best chance of being punchy on price, you must show you’re a serious buyer. So be prepared. As well as getting a mortgage in principle, have a screenshot of your deposit and stamp duty savings to flash at estate agents to prove you’re “proceedable”.
2026 August 8, Claer Barrett, “Kids, flats and student loans: Why UK first-time buyers are getting older”, in Financial Times:
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(informal) Involving or resembling a punch with the fist.
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.
2021, Chandler Baker, The Husbands: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.
1992, Jonny Quest (video game review) in Your Sinclair (issue 75, page 16)
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(informal) Punchable; punchworthy.
I've always hated Robbie Williams downright stupid face, Hopefully the Gallaghers will break his legs aswell.
2000 March 2, Harry 'snapper' Organs, “punchy face”, in alt.music.oasis (Usenet), archived from the original on 16 Sep 2025:Even with his punchy face, Roman nose and big ears, Jack Drawbaugh will command most of the attention for the 1-14-mile marathon route tomorrow at Sunland Park.
1978 October 18, “Ugly gelding sitting pretty for Sunland marathon”, in El Paso Herald-Post, volume CI, number 27, El Paso, Tex., →ISSN, →OCLC, page B-3, column 2:Punchy face Marty and dickless Rathbun are toast in all areas but a few freezone type dim wits who think Elrongs^([sic]) story about his almost gettinr^([sic]) run over by a train on Venus was really hot, The cult is over, but its criminal empire will go on for a while yet..
2009 September 20, phil scott, “Rathbun expresses solidarity with Rinder”, in alt.religion.scientology (Usenet), archived from the original on 16 Sep 2025:
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(informal) Behaving or appearing punch-drunk, reacting poorly.
I was so sleep-deprived I was starting to get punchy.
“It has been weeks since any of us have had even a moment of slumber.” “It's actually been only, like, 14 hours, but they get a little punchy when they don't get their sleep.”
2021 September 16, Sarah Naftalis, “The Casino” (13:58 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 3, episode 1, spoken by Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch):
- (informal) 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.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| punchiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| punchier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Hyponyms
Translations (4)
es con garra (having a punch) · es potente (having a punch) · es contundente (having a punch) · es incisivo (having a punch)