poignant

poign·ant

P0399900 (poin′yənt)adj.1. a. Arousing deep emotion, especially pity or sorrow; touching: a poignant memory; a poignant story. See Synonyms at moving.b. Keenly distressing to the mind or feelings: poignant anxiety.c. Physically painful: "Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward" (Ambrose Bierce).2. Piercing; incisive: poignant criticism.3. Agreeably intense or stimulating: "It was a poignant delight to breathe the keen air" (Joseph A. Altsheler).4. Archaic a. Sharp or sour to the taste; piquant.b. Sharp or pungent to the smell.

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[Middle English poinaunt, from Old French poignant, present participle of poindre, to prick, from Latin pungere; see peuk- in Indo-European roots.]

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poign′ance, poign′an·cy n.poign′ant·ly adv.

poignant

(ˈpɔɪnjənt; -nənt) adj1. sharply distressing or painful to the feelings2. to the point; cutting or piercing: poignant wit. 3. keen or pertinent in mental appeal: a poignant subject. 4. pungent in smell[C14: from Old French, from Latin pungens pricking, from pungere to sting, pierce, grieve] ˈpoignancy, ˈpoignance n ˈpoignantly adv

poign•ant

(ˈpɔɪn yənt, ˈpɔɪ nənt)

adj. 1. keenly distressing to the feelings. 2. affecting the emotions: a poignant scene. 3. keen or strong in appeal; sharp; pointed: a subject of poignant interest. 4. pungent. [1350–1400; Middle English poynaunt < Middle French poignant, present participle of poindre < Latin pungere to prick, pierce] poign′an•cy, n. poign′ant•ly, adv.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	poignant - arousing affect; "the homecoming of the released hostages was an affecting scene"; "poignant grief cannot endure forever"; "his gratitude was simple and touching"affecting, touchingmoving - arousing or capable of arousing deep emotion; "she laid her case of destitution before him in a very moving letter"- N. Hawthorne
	2.	poignant - keenly distressing to the mind or feelings; "poignant anxiety"painful - causing physical or psychological pain; "worked with painful slowness"

poignant

adjective moving, touching, affecting, upsetting, sad, bitter, intense, painful, distressing, pathetic, harrowing, heartbreaking, agonizing, heart-rending, gut-wrenching a poignant reminder of her sister's death

poignant

adjective1. Exciting a deep, usually somber response:affecting, impressive, moving, stirring, touching.2. Archaic. Affecting the organs of taste or smell with a strong and often harsh sensation:piquant, pungent, sharp, spicy, zesty.

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