Word of the Day

: February 11, 2015

poignant

adjective POY-nyunt

What It Means

1 a : painfully or deeply affecting the feelings

b : designed to make an impression : cutting

2 : being to the point : apt

poignant in Context

The shuttered storefronts along the city's Main Street serve as poignant reminders of the economic recession.

"Before there was reality TV and social networks and surveillance cams everywhere in the world, Jim Carrey starred in this film about a man whose entire life is broadcast 24/7-but in his case, he doesn't know it. It has a lot to say about privacy, making it all the more poignant today." - Eric Griffith, PCMag.com, December 26, 2014

Did You Know?

Poignant comes to us from French, and before that from Latin-specifically, the Latin verb pungere, meaning "to prick or sting." Several other common English words derive from pungere, including pungent, which can refer, among other things, to a "sharp" odor. The influence of pungere can also be seen in puncture, as well as punctual, which originally meant simply "of or relating to a point." Even compunction and expunge come from this pointedly relevant Latin word.