poignant

adjective

ˈpȯi-nyənt How to pronounce poignant (audio)
Definition of poignantnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word poignant distinct from other similar adjectives?

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

How do affecting and moving relate to one another, in the sense of poignant?

Affecting is close to moving but most often suggests pathos.

an affecting deathbed reunion

When can impressive be used instead of poignant?

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

In what contexts can moving take the place of poignant?

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

When might pathetic be a better fit than poignant?

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

When is touching a more appropriate choice than poignant?

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

the touching innocence in a child's eyes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of poignant Her most poignant work centers around the female nomadic warriors. — Yulia Denisyuk, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026 This is especially poignant because capital projects have a reputation for being difficult to automate. — Balaji Sreenivasan, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026 But Lewis said justifying camera movements through human mannerisms and tics also made the drone the episode’s poignant exhale. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026 These poignant and revealing journals cover the years after the financial disaster that engulfed Scott. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for poignant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignant
  1. emotional
  2. spicy
  3. impressive
  4. piquant
  5. delicious
  6. pungent
  7. exciting
  8. fascinating
Adjective
  • The breakthrough was to make Bonnie’s loneliness the emotional engine.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Building an international band that includes Eiko Ishibashi, Jim O’Rourke, and a whistler, the Australian guitarist shapes longform spells of emotional and musical ambiguity.
    — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of emotional
Adjective
  • The resulting meatballs were moist, herby, spiced, seasoned, spicy and just a joy to eat.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Braeburns have pronounced sweetness balanced by tartness, and their flavor becomes richer, almost spicy, in the oven.
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of spicy
Adjective
  • That Langley’s song has resonated to this extent without hardly any remixes or chart-boosting gimmicks makes the classic-meets-contemporary song all the more impressive.
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Flaco the owl became a celebrity Central Park resident, with breathless news coverage of Flaco’s impressive self-preservation skills and, eventually, mournful obituaries when Flaco died after flying into a building.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of impressive
Adjective
  • Sipping on the watermelon, calamansi, ginger agua fresca was just the right pairing with my boldly piquant dinner.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Placebo, loukoumi, kouglof, toda raba, Sharapova, tempura, cacao, platypus, shrub, castagnette, potato salada, potage piquant pékinois.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
Definition of piquant
Adjective
  • There are so many delicious desserts that star apples, including cakes, cobblers, and more.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2026
  • No ermine robe was too soft, and no dish too delicious, for the cardinals of the past.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of delicious
Adjective
  • The garlic added a pungent heat, and the tahina a nutty savoriness.
    — Cooking Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Many glass cleaners use ammonia to cut through grease and grime, but instead of leaving your appliances polished and shiny, the pungent solution can actually leave a streaky, cloudy sheen on stainless steel.
    — Kate Van Pelt, The Spruce, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of pungent
Adjective
  • An unopened box may look exciting when it is surrounded by balloons, friends and the smell of cake.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • They're packaged quite perfectly for gift-giving in a gift set of four mini bars that are just as exciting to unwrap as an (edible) holiday treat.
    — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of exciting
Adjective
  • Greene purists, as well as the author himself, bristled at the way Gere’s casting transformed the story, but as pure drama the movie is riveting — and a fascinating case study in just how much a star persona can affect a film.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The fascinating thing is that machine learning as a discipline just ignored the warning.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of fascinating

Browse Nearby Words

poignancy
poignant
poignantly
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Cite this Entry

“Poignant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignant. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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