Dictionary.com

poignant

[ poin-yuhnt, poi-nuhnt ]
/ ˈpɔɪn yənt, ˈpɔɪ nənt /
Save This Word!

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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of poignant

1350–1400; Middle English poynaunt<Middle French poignant, present participle of poindre<Latin pungere to prick, pierce. See pungent, -ant

OTHER WORDS FROM poignant

poign·ant·ly, adverbun·poign·ant, adjectiveun·poign·ant·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use poignant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for poignant

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

Derived forms of poignant

poignancy or poignance, nounpoignantly, adverb

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
FEEDBACK