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
However things turn out next month, Bowe’s 38th birthday will coincide with another passage in her life, one dripping with anticipation and, perhaps, a dose of poignancy.
—
Steve Buckley, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The land there glows with poignancy about this time, when the old year is not quite dead and the new one not quite ready.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
Still, there’s a bittersweet poignancy to the 100th Oscars also being the last traditional broadcast, a swan song for the long-ago time when the ceremony occupied the very center of popular culture.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
So is there some sort of poignancy in making this latest film?
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poignancy
Steve Buckley, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The land there glows with poignancy about this time, when the old year is not quite dead and the new one not quite ready.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026
Still, there’s a bittersweet poignancy to the 100th Oscars also being the last traditional broadcast, a swan song for the long-ago time when the ceremony occupied the very center of popular culture.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
So is there some sort of poignancy in making this latest film?
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for poignancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignancy
Noun
-
Coffee is particularly simpatico in chocolate recipes, where the coffee’s bitterness rounds out the chocolate flavor without overpowering it.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Chocolate in this range delivers intensity without bitterness and often carries subtle fruity or nutty notes, especially varieties sourced from South America.—
Amber Love Bond,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The event will feature craft brews, gourmet bites, live auction and nostalgic carnival games to raise money to help community members in need get food.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Signs Of A Bed Bug Infestation Bed bugs feed on blood, so a skin reaction from bites is often the first sign of a potential infestation.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Having explored the Mariana Trench, the summit of Everest, and the edge of space, Victor Vescovo knows what awe feels like in its most dramatic forms.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In short, the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war are a weird laboratory for modern warfare, which, against all odds, has given Ukraine a considerable tactical edge over its much larger adversary.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a particular poignance to Manousos giving this speech — an honest-to-goodness monologue by his standards — at the Darién Gap, amid the detritus of migrants who have shed their belongings to take this path from South to Central America.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
-
By contrast, Borghi limns a figure of comingled sensuality, threat and eventual poignance, without ever appearing to reach for effect.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poignancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignancy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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