Definition of poignant in English:

adjective

• 1Evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret.

  ‘a poignant reminder of the passing of time’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The play follows the story of one man's fight to save his land, combining poignant drama with a sense of humour.’
  • ‘He can be rather repetitive, but his best work has great delicacy of colour and handling and a poignant sense of lost innocence.’
  • ‘Funny, touching, moving and poignant - this could be one of the most affecting shows the Alhambra has staged.’
  • ‘It was a touching and poignant afternoon as friends gathered to show their respects to a man who had remained loyal and ever faithful to the ideals of Comhaltas.’
  • ‘And though these words may belong to the big screen, they will haunt us whenever we recall the poignant scenes from the moving film.’
  • ‘For people of any age coming to terms with grief, this is a poignant and moving account, beautifully illustrated and sparingly written.’
  • ‘It's a humorous, serious, poignant, moving script, that genuinely explores the value and meaning of education.’
  • ‘It is a book that can be witty, moving or poignant, all at the same time.’
  • ‘A poignant and moving text tucked away on the page seems to sum it all up.’
  • ‘People that are good at it and adept at it can be very guttural and gutsy and dark and moving and poignant all at the same time.’
  • ‘This was a moving, poignant ceremony, which gave solace to the parents and families.’
  • ‘This debut may remind some readers of Lorrie Moore's dry and poignant tragicomedy.’
  • ‘It is true that I have, like many who choose to write for a living, exaggerated senses of the absurd and the poignant.’
  • ‘This is a show with a sense of fun, a poignant side, a lesson to be learnt about family life and a little sprinkling of magic.’
  • ‘The sense of occasion and history was also made more poignant by the pageantry that accompanied it.’
  • ‘It is a philosophical tearjerker, a poignant romance for the intellectual set, and a touching character study.’
  • ‘Could they, for example, feed one half of the audience with a sound to make them laugh, while the other half heard something poignant or distressing?’
  • ‘That memory, painful and poignant, still inspires the Scot.’
  • ‘It's a poignant, almost heartbreaking portrait of urban American loneliness, alienation and obsession.’
  • ‘So often it's as much about what isn't said between people that's poignant, disturbing and moving.’

  Synonyms

  touching, moving, sad, saddening, affecting, pitiful, piteous, pitiable, pathetic, sorrowful, mournful, tearful, wretched, miserable, bitter, painful, distressing, disturbing, heart-rending, heartbreaking, tear-jerking, plaintive, upsetting, tragic

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1archaic Sharp or pungent in taste or smell.
     ‘the poignant scent of her powder’
     More example sentences

     • ‘Old memories returned to her in that split second, followed by poignant smells and visions a past where her world was nothing less than a fairy tale.’