poignant

American  

[poin-yuhnt, poi-nuhnt] / ˈpɔɪn yənt, ˈpɔɪ nənt /

adjective

1. keenly distressing to the feelings.

   poignant regret.

   Synonyms:

   heartfelt, sincere, intense

   Antonyms:

   mild

2. keen or strong in mental appeal.

   a subject of poignant interest.

   Antonyms:

   mild

3. affecting or moving the emotions.

   a poignant scene.

4. pungent to the smell.

   poignant cooking odors.

   Synonyms:

   sharp, piquant

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poignant British  

/ -nənt, ˈpɔɪnjənt /

adjective

1. sharply distressing or painful to the feelings

2. to the point; cutting or piercing

   poignant wit

3. keen or pertinent in mental appeal

   a poignant subject

4. pungent in smell

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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

Jonathan Fields, who had Viorst as a guest on his Good Life Project podcast, found one message particularly poignant.

From The Wall Street Journal

To her, it feels more poignant than ever.

From Salon

"It was the guttural voices of the keeners, there's only three recordings and all three are just so poignant and they're so different," she said.

From BBC

You can feel it in the way Emily looks out her father’s window to the lake beyond, the wintery tableau both tranquil and poignant.

From Los Angeles Times

The CBS firefighter drama’s dedication to authenticity hit home for several members of its L.A.-based team, with the upcoming midseason finale a poignant look at a grieving family.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bitter
• disturbing
• emotional
• heartbreaking
• heartrending
• moving
• passionate
• pathetic
• sad
• sentimental
• touching