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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for poignance
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
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
See All Example Sentences for poignance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignance
Noun
-
Acidic liquids can tame that bitterness.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
-
After bitterness, a little sweetness is in order.—
Michelle Huneven,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Its brunch menu features a variety of fun bites, sides and mains, such as Avocado Toast Flights; Wake and Gravy Poutine; and the Trenton Porkroll Benny made with two poached eggs, cracked pepper and melted cheddar over potato pancakes.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Most pests make little nibbles on plants, but groundhogs take big bites out of tomatoes, cabbage heads, and other crops.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The timing of the words added poignancy to the messages.—
John Odenthal,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
But the scene’s real poignancy will come from their sudden realization of how completely wrong their assumptions have been about the public’s attitude towards their products.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Style it by the edge of your sofa to add bonus space for your morning coffee or evening snacks, or use it by a window in your entryway, bedroom, or kitchen as a pedestal table to show off your favorite houseplants.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Musk in March outlined plans for the massive operation to build cutting-edge semiconductors for artificial intelligence, robotics and space forays.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Poignance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignance. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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