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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of poignance
If reproductive futurism is fixated on meaning-making, as in, drawing existential poignance out of the illusion of progress and succession, then Edelman’s proposition encourages the rejection of meaning and determinacy itself in the pursuit of ideological liberation.
—
Alex Quicho, Wired, 9 Jan. 2022
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
Transcending expectations is its own expectation, and Midnights makes clear, with modest poignance, that Swift has burned out on her own hype.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2022
In the song’s intro, processional drums and a trembling guitar line promised a power ballad with all the poignance of a Steven Spielberg movie.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2022
See all Example Sentences for poignance 
Alex Quicho, Wired, 9 Jan. 2022
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
Transcending expectations is its own expectation, and Midnights makes clear, with modest poignance, that Swift has burned out on her own hype.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2022
In the song’s intro, processional drums and a trembling guitar line promised a power ballad with all the poignance of a Steven Spielberg movie.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2022
See all Example Sentences for poignance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignance
Noun
-
The upstairs seating area is more casual, a spot to have a bite and a drink or perhaps enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine before your table is ready, with balcony seating that overlooks busy Las Olas Boulevard.—
Connie Ogle,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
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The adjacent towns of Glacier and Deming feel less like tourist hubs and more like actual towns—with savory bites at Gunners Tex Mex BBQ and North Fork Brewery, and plenty of character-rich Airbnb and Vrbo listings.—
Miles Howard,
AFAR Media,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
And its exploration of how past experiences can shape present lives adds depth and poignancy.—
Barbara Ellis,
The Denver Post,
3 Feb. 2025
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For now, that personal poignancy and cutting-edge tech can comfortably coexist at the Grammys, which will play a major role to set guardrails of what writing, performing and recording music fundamentally means today.—
August Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
There was a pervasive sense of indignation from current and former European officials, who have funneled significant aid to Ukraine and are deeply worried about how a ceasefire deal could impact the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) eastern edge.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
15 Feb. 2025
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The Pirates got to almost every loose ball and played with an edge that was nowhere to be found for the Huskies.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near poignance
Cite this Entry
“Poignance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignance. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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