as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
there was a poignancy to his wit that often left his targets smarting
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Recent Examples of poignancy
Jonathan Pryce is Stephen, Elizabeth’s husband who loves to play chess with staffer Bogdan Jankowski (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), and sadly also is in the early stages of dementia, a plot point which adds a lot of poignancy to his relationship with his wife.
—
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2025
Yet the occasional poignancy of both Toby and Andrew, the sot and the fool, doesn’t emerge in this production.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
The poignancy of the fact his goal was timed at 20:20 was lost on no one as the Diogo Jota song was echoing around Wembley when the ball hit the net.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
But Westenberg, who’s a touch too emphatic early on, lends poignancy to the cathartic release that ushers Neil into a new place of self-understanding.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poignancy
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2025
Yet the occasional poignancy of both Toby and Andrew, the sot and the fool, doesn’t emerge in this production.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
The poignancy of the fact his goal was timed at 20:20 was lost on no one as the Diogo Jota song was echoing around Wembley when the ball hit the net.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2025
But Westenberg, who’s a touch too emphatic early on, lends poignancy to the cathartic release that ushers Neil into a new place of self-understanding.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for poignancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignancy
Noun
-
The examples of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, where life after revolution is replete with bitterness and recrimination, are profoundly discouraging.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Blessed with tender skins and jammy interiors, fresh figs can offset the tang of tomatoes and bitterness of salad greens.—
Emily Saladino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
20 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The rodents rarely carry rabies, though squirrel bites have been linked to the transmission of certain diseases to humans.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Mosquito bites can cause a range of reactions, from mild redness and itching to blisters and bruise-like dark spots, depending on the person’s sensitivity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The fear of a man with a single foot over a cliff edge.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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The Lexington community, still reeling from a 5-year-old’s death in a home explosion five months ago, is on edge after gas lines continue to get hit by companies installing fiber optic cables.—
Kendrick Calfee,
Kansas City Star,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Poignancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignancy. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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