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Webster 1913 Edition

Poignant

Poign′ant

,
Adj.
[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.
2.
Fig.: Pointed; keen; satirical.
His wit . . . became more lively and
poignant
.
Sir W. Scott.

Webster 1828 Edition

Poignant

POIGNANT

,
Adj.
poin'ant. [L. pungere, pungo, to prick.]
1.
Sharp; stimulating the organs of taste; as poignant sauce.
2.
Pointed; keen; bitter; irritating; satirical; as poignant wit.
3.
Severe; piercing; very painful or acute; as poignant pain or grief.

Definition 2024

poignant

poignant

English

Adjective

poignant ‎(comparative more poignant, superlative most poignant)

  1. (obsolete, of a weapon etc) Sharp-pointed; keen.
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VII:
      His siluer shield, now idle maisterlesse; / His poynant speare, that many made to bleed […].
  2. Incisive; penetrating.
    His comments were poignant and witty.
  3. Neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant.
    A poignant reply will garner more credence than hours of blown smoke.
  4. Evoking strong mental sensation, to the point of distress; emotionally moving.
    Flipping through his high school yearbook evoked many a poignant memory of yesteryear.
  5. (figuratively, of a taste or smell) Piquant, pungent.
  6. (figuratively, of a look, or of words) Piercing.
  7. (dated, mostly British) Inducing sharp physical pain.

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations

References

  • OED 2nd edition 1989
  • Webster Third New International 1986

French

Etymology

From Old French poignant, present participle of poindre. Possibly corresponds to Latin pungēns, pungentem[1].

Verb

poignant

  1. present participle of poindre
  2. present participle of poigner

Adjective

poignant m ‎(feminine singular poignante, masculine plural poignants, feminine plural poignantes)

  1. poignant

References

  1. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=Pt8NAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Old French

Etymology

Present participle of poindre. Possibly corresponds to Latin pungēns, pungentem.

Verb

poignant

  1. present participle of poindre

Adjective

poignant m ‎(oblique and nominative feminine singular poignant or poignante)

  1. pointed; pointy

Descendants

Etymology

Borrowing from Anglo-Norman poynaunt, puignant et al., Middle French poignant, present participle of poindre ‎(“to prick”), from Latin pungō ‎(“prick”).

Pronunciation

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