POIGNANCY Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

poignancy

noun

ˈpȯi-nyən(t)-sē

Definition of poignancy

as in bitterness

a harsh or sharp quality there was a poignancy to his wit that often left his targets smarting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of poignancy The women were shown snoozing while the movie did its best to not disturb their slumber—revealing an additional, crucial poignancy. — Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 10 May 2026 If in previous seasons, Euphoria foregrounded erotic imagery to make a point about the confusing and often painful process of coming to terms with one’s sexuality, now that poignancy is gone. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for poignancy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignancy

Noun

This copper beauty serves up bold floral and citrus aromas, plus the signature IPA bitterness.

— Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Little united the Syrian rebels during the country’s civil war from 2011 to 2024 outside of their hatred of Assad, and Damascus has sought to cultivate this memory of bitterness to keep the country’s disparate groups together.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of bitterness

Noun

The lawsuit further alleged that Trader Joe’s put its crustless PB&Js peanut in packaging that too closely resembled the coloring of an Uncrustables box and featured a similar photograph of a sandwich with a bite taken out of one side.

— Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Throughout the night, creatives grazed on light bites from Goop Kitchen—the teriyaki salmon hand rolls were a crowd favorite—and bopped to the tunes from DJ Mariko.

— Paul Chi, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of bite

Noun

The negative is that rookie edge Keyron Crawford is out for the year with an ankle injury.

— Sam Warren, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
China continues to rely on Dutch manufacturer ASML for nearly all of its cutting-edge deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines, while some DUV systems encounter US export restrictions.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of edge

Noun

Tharmarajah provides a great balance of comic relief and utter poignance, explaining his survival techniques as an orphan, carving out a pragmatic path in life leading to a particular kind of soaring.

— David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
The literature created by AI is dull and devoid of any real poignance.

— Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026

Definition of poignance

Browse Nearby Words

poignance

poignancy

poignant

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Poignancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignancy. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of poignancy

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes