PUNGENT: 1: having a sharp point 2: marked by a sharp incisive quality 3a: causing a sharp or irritating sensation b: having an intense flavor or ordor
"Pungent" implies a sharp stinging or biting quality, expecially of odors, so it's not too surprising to discover the Latin verb pungere ("to prick, sting") at its root. "Compunction," "poignant," "puncture," and "punctual" share the same pointy root, and their meanings reflect its influence. Someone who feels compunction may experience the prick of a guilty conscience. Something that is poignant can be piercingly moving. And a punctured tire, pricked by a sharp point, can make it hard to be punctual - that is, to arrive "on the dot" or at a particular point in time.
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