poignant

[poin-yuhnt, poi-nuhnt]

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

poignant

/ -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

Other Word Forms

• poignantly adverb
• unpoignant adjective
• unpoignantly adverb
• poignancy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of poignant¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of poignant¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin pungens pricking, from pungere to sting, pierce, grieve

Example Sentences

Translations of Joseph’s letters to Van Gogh, hospitalized after the ear-cutting incident, were poignant testimony to their friendship.

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It’s the album’s opening title track, a poignant, emotional tune woven with promise and the start of something new.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Especially poignant is her discussion of West Germany’s incomplete attempts at legal accountability.

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Much of the album’s emotional tone is poignant, which makes the collection feel a part of an unending cycle of connection.

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In his hands, the naiveté of a given era’s technology becomes poignant.

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Related Words

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