English Dictionary
Definition of “poignant”
poignant (ˈpɔɪnjənt
;-nənt)
Definitions
adjective
- sharply distressing or painful to the feelings
- to the point; cutting or piercing ⇒
poignant wit
- keen or pertinent in mental appeal ⇒
a poignant subject
- pungent in smell
Alternative Forms
ˈpoignancy ˈpoignance noun ˈpoignantly adverb Word Origin
C14: from Old French, from Latin pungens pricking, from pungere to sting, pierce, grieve
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
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moving,
touching,
affecting,
upsetting,
sad,
bitter,
intense,
painful,
distressing,
pathetic,
harrowing,
heartbreaking,
agonizing,
heart-rending,
gut-wrenching,
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cutting,
pointed,
biting,
sharp,
keen,
acute,
severe,
piercing,
penetrating,
sarcastic,
caustic,
Usage examples
Some are sad: Andrew Cowan's `Terminus" is a controlled and poignant account of a very public death by heart attack.
Various, Looking For the Spark (1994)The candid confessions of his struggles with the old enemy�� (drink) are particularly poignant.
Country Life (2004)The most poignant of fire-related illustrations is that of a fireman carrying a child in his arms.
Globe and Mail (2003)Things My Mother Never Told Me is a revealing and poignant anatomy of family conflict, love, war and, finally, marriage.
Belfast Telegraph (2003)Another poignant example of a physical unburdening that came from reliving a past life death was the case of Winifred.
Woolger, Roger J., Other Lives, Other Selves (1987)
