adjective
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keen or incisive
trenchant criticism
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vigorous and effective
a trenchant foreign policy
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distinctly defined
a trenchant outline
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archaic sharp
a trenchant sword
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of trenchant
1275–1325; Middle English tranchaunt < Anglo-French; Old French trenchant, present participle of trenchier to cut. See trench, -ant
Explanation
If you're trenchant, it means you think or say smart, sharply worded things that cut right to the heart of the matter. A trenchant observation is one that makes people scratch their chins thoughtfully, or wince with embarrassment for whomever you're talking about, or both. The word trenchant originates from tranchant, which in French means "sharp" or "cutting," and it's related to the word trench, which originally meant a line carved in wood and later came to mean a ditch carved into the earth. The word is often used to describe political commentary or cultural criticism. One person known for her trenchant wit was the author and critic Mary McCarthy, who once said of the writer Lillian Hellman, "Every word she writes is a lie, including the 'and' and the 'the'."
Vocabulary lists containing trenchant
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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.
The artist’s infamously aggressive manner and trenchant theoretical pronouncements, captured here by actors in video and audio recordings, were at odds with the lyrical effects of his best work, and would color his critical fortunes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Although the song “Undercover of the Night” nicely melds a solid guitar riff with trenchant lyrics about political corruption and violence in South America, the rest of the album wilts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
David Hockney, who has died aged 88, was Britain's favourite artist - and a man of trenchant views, expressed in the broadest of Yorkshire vowels.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026
Sonically dynamic and unapologetically trenchant, “Arirang” took me on a journey by asserting BTS’ collective powers as mature artists and master storytellers, and I couldn’t help but be inspired.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
There are no doubt remarkable coincidences in the work; but they are not of a sufficiently trenchant character, and, moreover, most of the facts may be explained otherwise than by the influence of soil.
From The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6 A Monthly Eclectic Magazine by E. Rameur
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.
