poignantpoi‧gnant /ˈpɔɪnjənt/ adjective 
a poignant reminder of our nation’s great sacrifices—poignancy noun [uncountable]—poignantly adverb: a poignantly expressed tribute to his father
WORD ORIGINpoignant
Origin:
1300-1400 French present participle of poindre ‘to prick, sting’, from Latin pungere; ➔ PUNGENTEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a poignant love story
- In a poignant moment, Richter interrupted his speech to thank his mother and father.
- This is one of her most beautiful and poignant works.
- And in this case there is a poignant link between the two.
- Everything became too poignant for us, for both of us.
- It was a poignant film, which she wished had been longer.
- Lanchbery uses Chopin's poignant Andante Spinato to express Natalia's realisation that love has now escaped her.
- Santiago has crafted a poignant tale that celebrates the human spirit and the triumph of will.
- Several months after we first met, she tells me a revealing and poignant story of her first day at college.
- The poignant music drifted into the coffee-house, and Meredith settled back on the Victorian chair to enjoy it and her surroundings.
- The fact that the Grimkes came of notable Southern Huguenot stock made their case especially poignant.
THESAURUScausing strong feelings
causing people to have strong feelings – used especially about experiences, speeches, or subjects that people have strong feelings about: · Returning home after a year in hospital was an emotional experience for Katy.· He gave an emotional speech at the funeral.· It was a very emotional moment.· Abortion rights is a highly emotional issue.
used about issues or language that make people have strong feelings: · Fox hunting is a very emotive issue in Britain.· ‘Indoctrination’ is rather an emotive word.
making you feel strong feelings of sadness or sympathy: · Kelly’s book about her illness is deeply moving.· a moving film
making you feel slightly emotional – used especially when someone does something that shows how much they care about another person: · Your loyalty is very touching.· My son phoned me to wish me good luck, which was a touching gesture.
making you feel strong feelings of sadness or pity, especially when you remember something in the past: · Her youthful expression is a poignant reminder of the passing of time.
(also schmaltzy) informal dealing with emotions such as love and sadness in a way that seems silly: · He found the film too sentimental.· a schmaltzy comedy
Longman Language Activatorevents and situations that make people have strong feelings an emotional event or situation makes people feel strong emotions: · The council's vote came after nearly six hours of emotional debate.· Newspaper reporters were there to record the emotional reunion between the woman and her children.highly emotional: · Most couples remember the arrival of their first baby as a highly emotional time.
a moving account, experience, or event makes people feel strong emotions of pity, sadness, or joy: · The book is a very moving account of life in the refugee camps of Thailand.· After the final game there was a moving tribute to one of the players, who died tragically during the season.· The scene at the end of Act III is very moving, when Rafaella finds out that her husband has betrayed her.
a touching event or moment makes people feel a little sad and happy at the same time, and makes them like the people involved: · It was a touching scene when old Mr Adams received his leaving present.· It was touching to see them together. They were obviously still in love after thirty years of marriage.
: emotive issue/area/phrase etc a subject, statement, use of language etc that makes people have very strong feelings or emotions, especially of anger: · The candidates agreed to avoid emotive issues like abortion and child abuse.highly emotive (=very emotive): · The documentary deliberately uses highly emotive language, talking about "exploitation' and "blackmail'.
especially written a poignant event, image, remark etc makes you feel great sadness and pity: · This is one of her most beautiful and poignant works.· In a poignant moment, Richter interrupted his speech to thank his mother and father.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY a poignant reminder of our nation’s great sacrificesCOLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
making you feel sad or full of pitypoignant reminder/image/moment etc a poignant reminder of our nation’s great sacrifices (=making you feel sad)· I see Kathy's death as a poignant reminder that we sometimes really are powerless.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· His writings were sharpened and made more poignant by his troubles.· Autumn, with its gold and red, makes the passing of time even more poignant.
· Certainly, the most poignant part of Mr Wright's history is the fate of the Cherokees.· The differences between rich and poor are perhaps most significant, most visible, and most poignant in the lives of chil-dren.· One of the most poignant studies is of a graceful ten-year-old girl who drowned a few years later in a Mississippi boating accident.
· Nothing: that's a particularly poignant kind of pain.· For a visitor from Boston, this show is particularly poignant.· The setting might appear incongruous but it can also be seen as being particularly poignant.· There was a particularly poignant one from the United States.· Anna's end is particularly poignant because there is a continuous theme of death throughout the book.· For them it was a particularly poignant one.· Delivery performance is particularly poignant and assumes a high visibility.· The plan, beautifully drawn and lettered, as are all the plans of this period, is particularly poignant.
NOUN· Portraits of young men in uniform, many of whom never returned, make a poignant moment in most twentieth-century family collections.
· Somehow it was a poignant reminder that the eternal things do not change.· Yesterday's report from Body Shop was a poignant reminder of the fate that can await highly-rated companies.· Surely it is a poignant reminder of the capacity of the human being to suffer mental anguish.
· It is a poignant story this, and an unnerving one.· Several months after we first met, she tells me a revealing and poignant story of her first day at college.
a poignant reminder of our nation’s great sacrifices—poignancy noun [uncountable]—poignantly adverb: a poignantly expressed tribute to his father