The quality or state of being pungent or piercing; keenness; sharpness; piquancy; as, the pungency of ammonia.

wit having a sharp and caustic quality; "he commented with typical pungency"; "the bite of satire"

a strong odor or taste property; "the pungency of mustard"; "the sulfurous bite of garlic"; "the sharpness of strange spices"