POIGNANCE Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

poignance

noun

ˈpȯi-nyən(t)s

Definition of poignance

as in bitterness

a harsh or sharp quality there's a mean-spirited poignance to the novel's satiric portrait of Hollywood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of poignance That milestone might have held a particular poignance for Branch Rickey. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2025 Babe Ruth and other Yankee teammates appear in the film, thus adding to its authenticity and poignance. — Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024 Horowitz’s operation embodied both the allure and the poignance of the trade. — Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024 This reader, with at least 50 years more in corporeal form than Ching, could not help but rapidly identify with her wisdom and experience the poignance of her story. — BostonGlobe.com, 9 June 2023 See All Example Sentences for poignance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignance

Noun

As olives ripen, their oil content increases, texture softens and flavor becomes milder and less bitter – with the bitterness due to naturally occurring compounds called oleuropeins.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Mexican Americans have long risen up to defend ourselves and defy our haters, but there’s usually an underlying strain of bitterness and anger that kneecaps us at the worst possible moments.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Definition of bitterness

Noun

The district encouraged residents to take preventative measures, as avoiding mosquito bites is the most effective way to protect oneself from West Nile virus and other illnesses spread by mosquitos.

— Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
The aforementioned allergy to things like ice cream and hamburgers, for example, is called alpha-gal syndrome, and it’s spread in the US by the bite of another tick, called the lone star.

— Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 14 July 2026

Definition of bite

Noun

The enchanting woodsy and pastoral backgrounds when the action moves from the residential suburbs to the rural outskirts add to that poignancy, as do the dulcet tones of Randy Newman’s score.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
But the final one may be the most memorable, simply because of the poignancy of the moment.

— Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026

Definition of poignancy

Browse Nearby Words

pogroms

poignance

poignancy

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“Poignance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignance. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of poignance

noun

Example Sentences

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