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View synonyms for

poignant

[ poin-yuhnt, poi-nuhnt ]

adjective

  1. keenly distressing to the feelings:

    poignant regret.

    Synonyms: , ,

    Antonyms:

  2. keen or strong in mental appeal:

    a subject of poignant interest.

    Antonyms:

  3. affecting or moving the emotions:

    a poignant scene.

  4. pungent to the smell:

    poignant cooking odors.

    Synonyms: ,



poignant

/ -nənt; ˈpɔɪnjənt /

adjective

  1. sharply distressing or painful to the feelings
  2. to the point; cutting or piercing

    poignant wit

  3. keen or pertinent in mental appeal

    a poignant subject

  4. pungent in smell
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈǾԲԳٱ, adverb
  • ˈǾԲԳ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ǾaԳ· adverb
  • ܲ·ǾaԳ adjective
  • un·ǾaԳ· adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of poignant1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English poynaunt, from Middle French poignant, literally, “stinging,” present participle of poindre “to appear, emerge,” earlier “to prick, sting,” from Latin pungere; pungent
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Word History and Origins

Origin of poignant1

C14: from Old French, from Latin pungens pricking, from pungere to sting, pierce, grieve
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It’s a poignant symbol that brings us back to the very beginning of “The Last of Us,” when we meet Joel, Tommy and Sarah.

From

VE Day 80 will also be a poignant commemoration, as this is likely to be the last major anniversary which will still include a sizeable group of veterans who served in World War Two.

From

The women’s reexamination of their complex dad’s demons and flaws, vis-à-vis these unearthed creations, proves illuminating and poignant.

From

“Me Talk Pretty One Day” is by turns poignant and hilarious.

From

Saunders, a master of the short story, published this, his first full-length novel, a book experimental in form and poignant on the page.

From

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