poignant
POYN-yunt
/ˈpɔɪ.njənt/
Evoking a keen sense of sadness, regret, or deep emotional sharpness.
Refers to feelings or moments that pierce the heart with sharp emotional clarity.
The story behind the word. From Old French 'poignant' (pricking), stemming from Latin 'pungere' (to prick). Originally used in English to describe sharp, biting flavors before shifting to sharp emotions.
Word relationships
- touching: Touching is gentle and sympathetic; poignant carries a sharper, sharper emotional sting.
- moving: Moving evokes general emotion; poignant specifically pierces with bittersweet sorrow.
- unaffecting: Unaffecting fails to stir any emotional reaction.
Commonly confused with
- pungent: Pungent refers to sharp smells or tastes; poignant refers to sharp emotional feelings.
Word family
- poignantly (adverb): In a poignant manner.
- poignancy (noun): The quality of evoking a keen sense of sadness.
Collocations
- poignant reminder
- poignant moment
- poignant detail
- deeply poignant
Idioms & expressions
- tug at the heartstrings
- touch a nerve
Example sentences
- "The film ended with a poignant speech that left half the audience in tears." Film review
- "It was a poignant reminder of how fragile life truly is." Personal memoir
Memory hook
POIGNANT = POINTED emotional prick to your heart. Pungere = Prick the heart.
When not to use
Do not pronounce the 'g'; the 'g' is completely silent.
Fun facts
- Pungent (smell) and poignant (emotion) come from the exact same Latin root, 'pungere'.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.