poignant
[ poin-yuhnt, poi-nuhnt ]
/ ˈpɔɪn yənt, ˈpɔɪ nənt /
||
adjective
keenly distressing to the feelings: poignant regret.
keen or strong in mental appeal: a subject of poignant interest.
affecting or moving the emotions: a poignant scene.
pungent to the smell: poignant cooking odors.
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Nearby words
- pohutukawa,
- poi,
- poi dance,
- poignance,
- poignancy,
- poignantly,
- poikilitic,
- poikilo-,
- poikiloblast,
- poikiloblastic
Origin of poignant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for poignantly
poignant
/ (ˈpɔɪnjənt, -nənt) /
adjective
sharply distressing or painful to the feelings
to the point; cutting or piercingpoignant wit
keen or pertinent in mental appeala poignant subject
pungent in smell
Word Origin for poignant
C14: from Old French, from Latin pungens pricking, from pungere to sting, pierce, grieve
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
poignant
late 14c., "painful to physical or mental feeling" (of sauce, spice, wine as well as things that affect the feelings), from Old French poignant "sharp, pointed" (13c.), present participle of poindre "to prick, sting," from Latin pungere "to prick" (see pungent). Related: Poignantly.
The word disguises a linguistics trick-play, a double reverse. Latin pungere is from the same root as Latin pugnus "fist," and represents a metathesis of -n- and -g- that later was reversed in French.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper