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poignant

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poignant

  • /ˈpɔɪ.njənt/ Canada, US, UK
  • [ˈpɔɪɲ.ənt] Canada, US, UK
  • /ˈpɔɪ.nənt/ obsolete
  • /ˈpɔɪ.ɡnənt/ obsolete
  • /ˈpoɪ.njənt/ Australia
  • [ˈpoɪɲ.ənt] Australia

Where it comes from

From Middle English poynaunt, poynant, borrowed from Anglo-Norman puignant, poynaunt etc., present participle of poindre (“to prick”), from Latin pungō (“prick”). Doublet of pungent.

adjective more poignant · most poignant

  1. obsolete, usually, of a weapon Sharp-pointed; keen. His siluer shield, now idle maisterlesse; / His poynant speare, that many made to bleed [...].
  2. Neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant. A poignant reply will garner more credence than hours of blown smoke.
  3. Evoking strong mental sensation, to the point of distress; emotionally moving. Flipping through his high school yearbook evoked many a poignant memory of yesteryear.

    Similar: distressing, moving

  4. figuratively, of a smell Piquant, pungent.
  5. figuratively, of a look Incisive; penetrating; piercing. His comments were poignant and witty.
  6. UK, dated Inducing sharp physical pain.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: moving, painful, affecting, touching, sharp, striking, glaring, thrilling, exciting, laborious, agonizing, harrowing, profound, acute, powerful, sentimental

Translations

Every language

adj sharp-pointed; keen

Españolpuntiagudo, punzocortante, cortopunzante
日本語鋭い surudoi
Portuguêspontiagudo
Deutschspitz, zugespitzt
Italianoappuntito, affilato
Ελληνικάαιχημρός aichimrós, οξύς oxýs
Русскийо́стрый óstryj

adj neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant

日本語鋭い surudoi
Portuguêsclaro, eloquente, penetrante
Deutschtreffend, zutreffend, relevant
Italianochiaro, eloquente, acuto, penetrante

adj evoking strong mental sensation

日本語痛烈 tsūretsu
Portuguêspungente, emocionante, comovente
Deutschergreifend, packend, eindringlich, anrührend, rührend, erschütternd
Italianoemozionante, toccante, intenso, commovente
Ελληνικάσπαραχτικός sparachtikós
Русскийпроникновенный proniknovennyj

adj piquant; pungent

日本語鋭い surudoi
Portuguêspungente, picante
Deutschstechend, streng, pikant, scharf, beißend, aufdringlich
Italianopiccante, pungente
Русскийре́зкий

adj incisive; penetrating

Españolmordaz, tajante
日本語鋭い surudoi, 痛烈な tsūretsu-na, 辛辣な shinratsu-na
Portuguêsincisivo, penetrante, agudo
Deutschschneidend, eindringend, spitz, durchdringend
Italianoincisivo, penetrante, acuto
Ελληνικάαιχμηρός aichmirós, διαπεραστικός diaperastikós
Русскийпрони́зывающий pronízyvajuščij

adj piercing

日本語鋭い surudoi
Portuguêspenetrante
Deutschdurchdringend
Italianopenetrante
Ελληνικάδιαπεραστικός diaperastikós
Русскийпрони́зывающий pronízyvajuščij

adj inducing sharp physical pain

日本語鋭い surudoi
Portuguêsdoloroso
Deutschschmerzlich, schmerzhaft
Italianodoloroso
Ελληνικάοδυνηρός odynirós, επίπονος epíponos

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Cite this
MLA

"poignant." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/poignant. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

poignant. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/poignant

Chicago

"poignant." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/poignant.

BibTeX
@misc{poignant_2026,
  title = {poignant},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/poignant},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}