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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poignance
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
The wild-eyed goofy younger Springsteen cracks through, but never lightly, always with poignance.
—Christopher Borrelli, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2023
That means none of the bubble-burst poignance that Bartlett and Natasha Rothwell brought as the servant-victims of getaway decadence.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2022
Transcending expectations is its own expectation, and Midnights makes clear, with modest poignance, that Swift has burned out on her own hype.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for poignance
BostonGlobe.com, 9 June 2023
The wild-eyed goofy younger Springsteen cracks through, but never lightly, always with poignance.
—Christopher Borrelli, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2023
That means none of the bubble-burst poignance that Bartlett and Natasha Rothwell brought as the servant-victims of getaway decadence.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2022
Transcending expectations is its own expectation, and Midnights makes clear, with modest poignance, that Swift has burned out on her own hype.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for poignance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignance
Noun
-
Curiously, there is less bitterness among farmworkers and advocates than there is sadness.—
Marcos Breton,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Each sip ends with some pleasant heat on the back end, a nice, warming finish that lingers for a few minutes, along with some tannic oak that does not go overboard into bitterness.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Worldwide, many antibiotics are starting to lose their bite.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The evening begins with a lively pre-event social hour featuring bites, cocktails and networking.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Preston is a fun, engaging storyteller whose work balances humor and poignancy.—
Heide Janssen,
Oc Register,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The poignancy-to-comedy ratio is precisely calibrated.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
When looking at the largest metro areas, the fastest growing counties tended to be on the outer edges.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The Chiefs have now turned their attention to the secondary waves of free agency while looking ahead to the draft — with top needs at cornerback, edge and offensive tackle, by my estimation.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poignance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignance. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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