Poignant
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˈpɔɪ.njənt/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Poignant is an adjective meaning Neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant.
Meaning
Neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant.
More Meanings
- Evoking strong mental sensation, to the point of distress; emotionally moving.
- (figuratively, of a smell, taste) Piquant, pungent.
- (figuratively, of a look, word) Incisive; penetrating; piercing.
- (obsolete, of a weapon, etc.) Sharp-pointed; keen.
- (chiefly British, dated) Inducing sharp physical pain.
Example Sentences
His comments were poignant and witty.
A poignant reply will garner more credence than hours of blown smoke.
Flipping through his high school yearbook evoked many a poignant memory of yesteryear.
His siluer shield, now idle maisterlesse; / His poynant speare, that many made to bleed [...].
Synonyms for poignant
Depending on context, synonyms include distressing, moving, painful, touching, affecting.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include moving, painful, affecting, touching, sharp, striking.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.