poignant
Americanadjective
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sharply distressing or painful to the feelings
-
to the point; cutting or piercing
poignant wit
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keen or pertinent in mental appeal
a poignant subject
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pungent in smell
Other Word Forms
- poignancy noun
- poignantly adverb
- unpoignant adjective
- unpoignantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of poignant
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English poynaunt, from Middle French poignant, literally, “stinging,” present participle of poindre “to appear, emerge,” earlier “to prick, sting,” from Latin pungere; pungent
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nguyen deftly crafts a poignant and contemplative snapshot of these seven bonded men who are caught between several masters in the creation of “Arirang.”
From Salon
He wasn’t ready for Catherine O’Hara to go, nor Rob Reiner, who bade Idle a poignant farewell at a recent L.A. party.
From Los Angeles Times
As metafiction goes, it could hardly be more poignant, though poignancy is not the author’s style.
For three decades, Banksy has challenged authority, mocked consumer culture and transformed public spaces into poignant canvases - while keeping his true identity hidden from the world.
From BBC
“Her First American,” Segal’s best book, also draws closely from life, but its fictionalizing feels freer and brings out poignant elements of romance and tragicomedy.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
