POIGNANCE Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

poignance

noun

ˈpȯi-nyən(t)s

Definition of poignance

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

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 poignance 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, 9 June 2023 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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for poignance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignance

Noun

In the case of Alito and Thomas, there is also a striking note of bitterness.

— Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 30 June 2026
Looking back now, however, there is no bitterness attached to that chapter.

— Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 28 June 2026

Definition of bitterness

Noun

At a charge, guests may also book a cute Patina Osaka wagon, packed with chairs, cuddly blankets, bites, and drinks for a bucolic picnic in the park.

— Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
The reception reportedly offered multiple bars and food stations, which featured bites such as sushi and Italian cuisine.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 July 2026

Definition of bite

Noun

The enchanting woodsy and pastoral backgrounds when the action moves from the residential suburbs to the rural outskirts add to that poignancy, as do the dulcet tones of Randy Newman’s score.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 June 2026
But the final one may be the most memorable, simply because of the poignancy of the moment.

— Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026

Definition of poignancy

Browse Nearby Words

pogroms

poignance

poignancy

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Poignance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignance. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of poignance

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes