poignant

adjective

poi·gnant ˈpȯi-nyənt How to pronounce poignant (audio)

sometimes ˈpȯi(g)-nənt

a(1)

: painfully affecting the feelings : piercing

(2)

: deeply affecting : touching

: designed to make an impression : cutting

poignant satire

: pleasurably stimulating

: being to the point : apt

: pungently pervasive

a poignant perfume

poignantly adverb

Example Sentences

… this movie isn't a soft-pedaled, poignant tale of addiction and recovery—it's just about the addiction.

David Crowley, Vibe, June 2001 In a poignant attempt to split the difference between the two camps, Justices Breyer and David Souter tried to prevent the Court from destroying itself.

Jeffrey Rosen, New Republic, 25 Dec. 2000 I've witnessed the poignant efforts of young whites striving to conform to the vague tenets of the mainstream, taking crushingly dull jobs, settling down with the least challenging of spouses …

Jake Lamar, UTNE Reader, May/June 1992 … a new and sharper and most poignant sense of loss for that broken musical instrument which had once been my leg.

Oliver Sacks, A Leg to Stand On, 1984 The photograph was a poignant reminder of her childhood. a poignant story of a love affair that ends in tragedy See More

Recent Examples on the Web The creators of American Vandal, Netflix's hilarious and surprisingly poignant send-up of true crime documentaries, return with another mockumentary series, this time tackling sports documentaries like The Last Dance.

Brendan Morrow, The Week, 1 July 2022 With strikingly relevant subject matter and an Apple TV+ series adaptation under way starring Brie Larson, this darkly funny and poignant novel, out in April, is likely to be a blockbuster.

Carole V. Bell, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2022 That push and pull between embarrassment and lust drives much of Pam & Tommy, a whip-smart, funny, and ultimately poignant re-examination of an event that once seemed like an easy punchline for tabloids and Jay Leno monologues.

Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2022 The graceful but long-damaged and disused Sidaway pedestrian bridge, one of the most poignant symbols of Cleveland’s racial unrest in the 1960s, could soon be in line for a comeback.

Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 30 Aug. 2022 Seeing Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, was the trip’s most poignant moment.

Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2022 The corncrake’s cry, thought to be loud and harsh, is a poignant reminder for older people of the advent of warmer weather.

New York Times, 4 Aug. 2022 Rosinsky ends up handling some of the season’s most and least subtle moments, but gets one of the its most poignant threads when Mac reconnects with her brother (Cliff Chamberlain).

Caroline Framke, Variety, 29 July 2022 Wait, is a film adaptation of a series of internet shorts about a talking shell one of the most poignant movies of 2022?

Brendan Morrow, The Week, 25 July 2022 See More

poignant

adjective

as in emotional

having the power to affect the feelings or sympathies a poignant story of a love affair that ends in tragedy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

emotional
impressive
touching
inspirational
exciting
eloquent
impactful
passionate
dramatic
moving
excitable
meaningful
affecting
stirring
expressive
theatrical
provoking
melodramatic
theatric
feeling
demonstrative
significant
cathartic
rousing
sensitive
responsive
stimulating
histrionic

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

unemotional
dispassionate
unimpressive
cool
detached
unaffecting
deadpan
cold
emotionless

as in spicy

sharp and pleasantly stimulating to the mind or senses a poignant truthfulness to the author's observations on marriage

Synonyms & Similar Words

spicy
piquant
fascinating
pungent
delicious
provocative
zingy
zesty
savory
salty
biting
interesting
pert
savoury
enlightening
trenchant
intriguing
exciting
riveting
provoking
peppery
engrossing
gripping
acute
flavorful
invigorating
enthralling
mordant
racy
fiery
galvanizing
engaging
vinegary
energizing
scrumptious
absorbing
tasty
delectable
hot
arresting
bitter
toothsome
appetizing
keen
luscious
gingery
cutting
palatable
animating
ambrosial
piquing
savorous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insipid
predictable
tasteless
ponderous
tedious
banal
dry
uninteresting
flat
boring
dull
monotonous
arid
zestless
dreary
wearisome
barren
colorless
leaden
drab
tiring
pedestrian
weak
humdrum
flat
numbing
thin
stodgy
savorless
flavorless
bland
stale
wearying
watery
dilute

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of poignant are affecting, impressive, moving, pathetic, and touching. While all these words mean "having the power to produce deep emotion," poignant applies to what keenly or sharply affects one's sensitivities.

a poignant documentary on the homeless

Affecting is close to moving but most often suggests pathos.

an affecting deathbed reunion

In some situations, the words impressive and poignant are roughly equivalent. However, impressive implies compelling attention, admiration, wonder, or conviction.

an impressive list of achievements

Although the words moving and poignant have much in common, moving may apply to any strong emotional effect including thrilling, agitating, saddening, or calling forth pity or sympathy.

a moving appeal for contributions

The words pathetic and poignant can be used in similar contexts, but pathetic implies moving to pity or sometimes contempt.

pathetic attempts to justify misconduct

While in some cases nearly identical to poignant, touching implies arousing tenderness or compassion.

the touching innocence in a child's eyes

单词	poignant
释义	poignant adjective poi·gnant ˈpȯi-nyənt sometimes ˈpȯi(g)-nənt 1 a(1) : painfully affecting the feelings : piercing (2) : deeply affecting : touching b : designed to make an impression : cutting poignant satire 2 a : pleasurably stimulating b : being to the point : apt 3 : pungently pervasive a poignant perfume poignantly adverb Did you know? Poignant comes to English from French, and before that from Latin—specifically, the Latin verb pungere, meaning "to prick or sting." Several other common English words derive from pungere, including pungent, which can refer to, among other things, a sharp odor. The influence of pungere can also be seen in puncture, as well as punctual, which originally meant simply "of or relating to a point." Even compunction and expunge come from this pointedly relevant Latin word. Synonyms affecting emotional impactful impressive moving stirring touching See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences … this movie isn't a soft-pedaled, poignant tale of addiction and recovery—it's just about the addiction. David Crowley, Vibe, June 2001 In a poignant attempt to split the difference between the two camps, Justices Breyer and David Souter tried to prevent the Court from destroying itself. Jeffrey Rosen, New Republic, 25 Dec. 2000 I've witnessed the poignant efforts of young whites striving to conform to the vague tenets of the mainstream, taking crushingly dull jobs, settling down with the least challenging of spouses … Jake Lamar, UTNE Reader, May/June 1992 … a new and sharper and most poignant sense of loss for that broken musical instrument which had once been my leg. Oliver Sacks, A Leg to Stand On, 1984 The photograph was a poignant reminder of her childhood. a poignant story of a love affair that ends in tragedy See More Recent Examples on the Web The creators of American Vandal, Netflix's hilarious and surprisingly poignant send-up of true crime documentaries, return with another mockumentary series, this time tackling sports documentaries like The Last Dance. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 1 July 2022 With strikingly relevant subject matter and an Apple TV+ series adaptation under way starring Brie Larson, this darkly funny and poignant novel, out in April, is likely to be a blockbuster. Carole V. Bell, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2022 That push and pull between embarrassment and lust drives much of Pam & Tommy, a whip-smart, funny, and ultimately poignant re-examination of an event that once seemed like an easy punchline for tabloids and Jay Leno monologues. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2022 The graceful but long-damaged and disused Sidaway pedestrian bridge, one of the most poignant symbols of Cleveland’s racial unrest in the 1960s, could soon be in line for a comeback. Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 30 Aug. 2022 Seeing Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Jerusalem, was the trip’s most poignant moment. Janice Neumann, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2022 The corncrake’s cry, thought to be loud and harsh, is a poignant reminder for older people of the advent of warmer weather. New York Times, 4 Aug. 2022 Rosinsky ends up handling some of the season’s most and least subtle moments, but gets one of the its most poignant threads when Mac reconnects with her brother (Cliff Chamberlain). Caroline Framke, Variety, 29 July 2022 Wait, is a film adaptation of a series of internet shorts about a talking shell one of the most poignant movies of 2022? Brendan Morrow, The Week, 25 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Middle English poynaunt, from Anglo-French poinant, poignant, present participle of poindre to prick, sting, from Latin pungere — more at pungent First Known Use 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3 poignant adjective 1 as in emotional having the power to affect the feelings or sympathies a poignant story of a love affair that ends in tragedy Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance emotional impressive touching inspirational exciting eloquent impactful passionate dramatic moving excitable meaningful affecting stirring expressive theatrical provoking melodramatic theatric feeling demonstrative significant cathartic rousing sensitive responsive stimulating histrionic Antonyms & Near Antonyms unemotional dispassionate unimpressive cool detached unaffecting deadpan cold emotionless See More 2 as in spicy sharp and pleasantly stimulating to the mind or senses a poignant truthfulness to the author's observations on marriage Synonyms & Similar Words spicy piquant fascinating pungent delicious provocative zingy zesty savory salty biting interesting pert savoury enlightening trenchant intriguing exciting riveting provoking peppery engrossing gripping acute flavorful invigorating enthralling mordant racy fiery galvanizing engaging vinegary energizing scrumptious absorbing tasty delectable hot arresting bitter toothsome appetizing keen luscious gingery cutting palatable animating ambrosial piquing savorous Antonyms & Near Antonyms insipid predictable tasteless ponderous tedious banal dry uninteresting flat boring dull monotonous arid zestless dreary wearisome barren colorless leaden drab tiring pedestrian weak humdrum flat numbing thin stodgy savorless flavorless bland stale wearying watery dilute See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of poignant are affecting, impressive, moving, pathetic, and touching. While all these words mean "having the power to produce deep emotion," poignant applies to what keenly or sharply affects one's sensitivities. a poignant documentary on the homeless Affecting is close to moving but most often suggests pathos. an affecting deathbed reunion In some situations, the words impressive and poignant are roughly equivalent. However, impressive implies compelling attention, admiration, wonder, or conviction. an impressive list of achievements Although the words moving and poignant have much in common, moving may apply to any strong emotional effect including thrilling, agitating, saddening, or calling forth pity or sympathy. a moving appeal for contributions The words pathetic and poignant can be used in similar contexts, but pathetic implies moving to pity or sometimes contempt. pathetic attempts to justify misconduct While in some cases nearly identical to poignant, touching implies arousing tenderness or compassion. the touching innocence in a child's eyes
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poignant

adjective

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Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

adjective

Synonym Chooser