poignant

English

WOTD – 20 March 2008    

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman poynaunt, puignant et al., Middle French poignant, present participle of poindre (“to prick”), from Latin pungō (“prick”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈpɔɪ.njənt/, X-SAMPA: /"pOI.njEnt/
• (US) IPA: /ˈpɔɪn.jənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

poignant (comparative more poignant, superlative most poignant)

1. (obsolete, of a weapon etc) Sharp-pointed; keen.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VII:

     His siluer shield, now idle maisterlesse; / His poynant speare, that many made to bleed [...].

2. Incisive; penetrating.

   His comments were poignant and witty.

3. neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant.

   A poignant reply will garner more credence than hours of blown smoke.

4. Evoking strong mental sensation, to the point of distress; emotionally moving.

   Flipping through his high school yearbook evoked many a poignant memory of yesteryear.

5. (figuratively, of a taste or smell) Piquant, pungent.
6. (figuratively, of a look, or of words) Piercing.
7. (dated, mostly British) Inducing sharp physical pain.

Synonyms

• (evoking strong mental sensation): distressing, moving

Related terms

• poignancy

Translations

sharp-pointed; keen

• Greek: αιχημρός (el) (aichimrós), οξύς (el) (oxýs)
• Italian: appuntito (it), affilato (it)
• Japanese: 鋭い (ja) (surudoi)
• Polish: ostry (pl) m

• Portuguese: pontiagudo (pt)
• Russian: острый (ru) (ostryj)
• Spanish: puntiagudo (es), punzo-cortante (es)

incisive; penetrating

• Finnish: kärkevä (fi)
• Greek: αιχμηρός (el) (aichmirós), διαπεραστικός (el) (diaperastikós)
• Italian: incisivo (it), penetrante (it), acuto (it)
• Japanese: 鋭い (ja) (surudoi), 痛烈な (ja) (tsūretsu-na), 辛辣な (ja) (shinratsu-na)

• Polish: ostry (pl) m
• Portuguese: incisivo (pt), penetrante (pt), agudo (pt)
• Russian: пронизывающий (ru) (pronizyvajuščij)
• Spanish: incisivo (es) penetrante (es) agudo (es)

neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant

• Italian: chiaro (it), eloquente (it), acuto (it), penetrante (it)
• Japanese: 鋭い (ja) (surudoi)
• Polish: cięty (pl)

• Portuguese: claro (pt), eloquente (pt), penetrante (pt)
• Spanish: claro (es) elocuente (es) agudo (es) penetrante (es)

evoking strong mental sensation

• Finnish: (evoking sharp mental pain') kipeä, arka; (emotionally moving) liikuttava
• Greek: σπαραχτικός (el) (sparachtikós)
• Italian: emozionante (it)
• Japanese: 痛烈な (ja) (tsūretsu-na)

• Maori: whakaaroha (mi)
• Polish: wzruszający (pl)
• Portuguese: pungente (pt), emocionante (pt), comovente (pt)
• Scottish Gaelic: tiamhaidh (gd)
• Spanish: conmovedor (es)

piquant; pungent

• Finnish: pikantti (fi), kirpeä (fi), pistävä (fi)
• Italian: piccante (it), pungente (it)
• Japanese: 鋭い (ja) (surudoi)

• Portuguese: pungente (pt), picante (pt)
• Russian: резкий (о запахе) (ru) (rezkij (o zapaxe))
• Spanish: picante (es)

piercing

• Greek: διαπεραστικός (el) (diaperastikós)
• Italian: penetrante (it)
• Japanese: 鋭い (ja) (surudoi)

• Portuguese: penetrante (pt)
• Russian: пронизывающий (ru) (pronizyvajuščij)

inducing sharp physical pain

• Greek: οδυνηρός (el) (odynirós), επίπονος (el) (epíponos)
• Italian: doloroso (it)

• Japanese: 鋭い (ja) (surudoi)
• Portuguese: doloroso (pt)

References

• OED 2nd edition 1989
• Webster Third New International 1986

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French

Verb

poignant

1. Present participle of poindre.
2. Present participle of poigner.

Adjective

poignant m (feminine poignante, masculine plural poignants, feminine plural poignantes)

1. poignant

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Old French

Verb

poignant

1. Present participle of poindre.

Adjective

poignant m

1. pointed; pointy

Descendants

• English: poignant (borrowed)
• French: poignant