ZebraWords.com - The Definition of 'Poignant', Synonyms of 'Poignant' & More on 'Poignant'

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

absorbing, acerbic, acid, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, acute, affecting, afflictive, agitating, agonizing, asperous, astringent, atrocious, barbed, biting, bitter, bleak, blue, caustic, cheerless, comfortless, corrosive, cramping, cruel, cutting, deep, deep-felt, deepgoing, deplorable, depressing, depressive, disastrous, discomforting, dismal, dismaying, distressful, distressing, disturbing, dolorific, dolorogenic, dolorous, double-edged, dramatic, dreary, driving, earnest, edged, effective, emotional, escharotic, excruciating, exquisite, extreme, fierce, forceful, forcible, gnawing, grave, grievous, griping, gutsy, hard, harrowing, harsh, heartfelt, homefelt, hurtful, hurting, imperative, impressive, incisive, indelible, intense, irritating, joyless, keen, lamentable, lively, melancholy, miserable, mordacious, mordant, mournful, moving, nervous, nose-tickling, painful, paroxysmal, pathetic, penetrating, peppery, peppy, perturbing, pervading, piercing, piquant, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, pointed, powerful, profound, punchy, pungent, racking, racy, regrettable, rigorous, rough, rueful, sad, saddening, sarcastic, sardonic, scathing, sensational, severe, sharp, shooting, sincere, sinewed, sinewy, slashing, snappy, sore, sorrowful, sour, sparkling, spasmatic, spasmic, spasmodic, spicy, spirited, stabbing, stinging, stirring, strident, striking, stringent, strong, tart, telling, tormenting, torturous, touching, tragic, trenchant, uncomfortable, upsetting, vehement, vigorous, violent, virulent, vital, vitriolic, vivacious, vivid, woebegone, woeful, wretched, zesty

Dictionary Results for poignant:

1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)

poignant
    adj 1: arousing affect; "the homecoming of the released hostages
           was an affecting scene"; "poignant grief cannot endure
           forever"; "his gratitude was simple and touching" [syn:
           affecting, poignant, touching]
    2: keenly distressing to the mind or feelings; "poignant
       anxiety"

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Poignant \Poign"ant\, a. [F., p. pr. of poindre to sting, fr. L.
   pungere to prick, sting. See Pungent.]
   1. Pricking; piercing; sharp; pungent. "His poignant spear."
      --Spenser. "Poynaunt sauce." --Chaucer.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Fig.: Pointed; keen; satirical.
      [1913 Webster]

            His wit . . . became more lively and poignant. --Sir
                                                  W. Scott.
      [1913 Webster]

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