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.
Since becoming the first US-born pope a year ago this week, Leo XIV's measured style has given way to a trenchant tone in an ongoing confrontation with US President Donald Trump.
From Barron's • May 6, 2026
They dissect the most famous pas de deux with trenchant insight and introduce their audience to the greatest dancers, including Natalia Osipova and Roberto Bolle.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
He has trenchant critics, and potential rivals, but still has approval ratings of which most western leaders can only dream.
From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026
But it’s consistently appealing, underpinned by fluent Broadway pop-rock melodies that, importantly, never overwhelm the lyrics, which are trenchant and clever.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025
Her trenchant wit, affability, and candor pleased the young men not less than her culture and varied accomplishments impressed the older ones with whom she came in contact.
From Abraham Lincoln, Volume 1 (of 2) The True Story Of A Great Life by Herndon, William H.
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.
