tangy

UK/ˈtæŋiː/US/ˈtæŋiː/

adjectiveB2+2 meanings Occasional — familiar, but not everyday · #11,763 of 15,258neutralinformal · an editor’s judgement

Tangy describes a taste that is sharp and fresh and wakes your mouth up. A squeeze of lemon over fish, cold thick yoghurt, salt-and-vinegar crisps, a good hard cheddar.

Tangy is a compliment, and that is the difference to learn. Sour means too sharp, and it hints that something has gone off; tangy means sharp on purpose and pleasantly so — pickles, barbecue sauce, a tangy dressing. The noun behind it is tang: a tang of lemon, a tang of salt in the air, which shows the word works for smells as well as tastes. It belongs to menus, packaging and food writing rather than to a chemistry report. The comparative is tangier, and the -y ending puts it in the same family as zesty and fruity.

Definitions of tangy

1adjectivetangyHaving a sharp, fresh, pleasant taste.B2+
“The dressing was tangy with lemon and mustard.”
- Said"The dressing's lovely and tangy; is that lime or vinegar?"
- WrittenA tangy yoghurt cut through the richness of the lamb, and the plate made sense.
- UsedAdd a tangy element to any dish that feels heavy.
- ContrastTangy, not sour. Sour makes you pucker; tangy is sharp too, but bright and pleasant. sour →
- Not thisBitter is not tangy. Tangy is fresh and sharp; bitter is dark and lingers.
- SimplyThe sauce is tangy. It wakes up your mouth.
Patterntangy + noun (sauce, cheese, flavour) · sharp and tangy · a tang
synonyms: sharp, zesty, piquant
2adjectivesmellHaving a sharp, fresh smell.B2
“A tangy smell of seaweed came off the harbour.”

Remember it

TANGy → like a TANGerine

Like a tangerine: sharp and fresh on the tongue, a little sour, and very pleasant.

Where it comes from

Old Norse
tangi — pointed metal tool
Middle English
tange
English
tang
English, today
tangy

Built from

tonge · Middle English — tongs, fang

From tang + -y. tang comes from Middle English tange, variant of tonge (“tongs, fang”), from Old Norse tangi (“pointed metal tool”), perhaps related to Old Norse tunga (“tongue”). But see also Middle Dutch tanger (“sharp, tart, pinching”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Definitions of tangy

1adjectivetangyHaving a sharp, fresh, pleasant taste.B2+

“The dressing was tangy with lemon and mustard.”

Said"The dressing's lovely and tangy; is that lime or vinegar?"
WrittenA tangy yoghurt cut through the richness of the lamb, and the plate made sense.
UsedAdd a tangy element to any dish that feels heavy.
ContrastTangy, not sour. Sour makes you pucker; tangy is sharp too, but bright and pleasant. sour →
Not thisBitter is not tangy. Tangy is fresh and sharp; bitter is dark and lingers.
SimplyThe sauce is tangy. It wakes up your mouth.

Patterntangy + noun (sauce, cheese, flavour) · sharp and tangy · a tang

synonyms: sharp, zesty, piquant

2adjectivesmellHaving a sharp, fresh smell.B2

“A tangy smell of seaweed came off the harbour.”