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
But this exploration undercuts the poignancy of Girls on Wire, adding a third, more opaque thread, to the film’s two clearer ones.
—
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025
Their epic battle of wills comes to verge on black comedy, but the widow’s simultaneous battle with her own mortality gives the novel an unexpected poignancy.
—The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
And its exploration of how past experiences can shape present lives adds depth and poignancy.
—Barbara Ellis, The Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for poignancy
Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Feb. 2025
Their epic battle of wills comes to verge on black comedy, but the widow’s simultaneous battle with her own mortality gives the novel an unexpected poignancy.
—The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
And its exploration of how past experiences can shape present lives adds depth and poignancy.
—Barbara Ellis, The Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for poignancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignancy
Noun
-
Customers may have purchased the recalled small bites from February 6, 2025, through March 11, 2025.—
Anna Commander,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
-
More affordable options for food at the pool hall include small bites, ranging from $1.75 lumpia to a $12.50 combo plate.—
Brianna Taylor,
Sacramento Bee,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Using heritage milling techniques, the Candiani fabrics were made on old-school shuttle looms, a time-intensive process that yields long-lasting denim finished with selvedge’s classic self-edge.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Mar. 2025
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Resolution on Joey Bosa, the four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher who is mulling interest from Miami.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
This reader, with at least 50 years more in corporeal form than Ching, could not help but rapidly identify with her wisdom and experience the poignance of her story.—
BostonGlobe.com,
BostonGlobe.com,
9 June 2023
-
The wild-eyed goofy younger Springsteen cracks through, but never lightly, always with poignance.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Poignancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignancy. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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