as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
there's a mean-spirited poignance to the novel's satiric portrait of Hollywood
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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
The wild-eyed goofy younger Springsteen cracks through, but never lightly, always with poignance.
—Christopher Borrelli, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2023
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
See All Example Sentences for poignance
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
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
See All Example Sentences for poignance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignance
Noun
-
But her private letters to her sister Cassandra show a sharper and more astringent person, someone whose cruelty and bitterness were redeemed only by her jokes.—
Lucy Worsley
September 16,
Literary Hub,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The Bitter Mai Tai is a full-fledged neo classic, first bright with lime and rum, then deep with almond, and then—where a standard Mai Tai would fall away with a lingering malic zing—the Bitter Mai Tai rises in a bold third act, humming with bitterness and the banana-funk of the rum.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The bite landed on Dottie's wattle, the fleshy red tissue hanging from a chicken's beak that helps regulate body temperature.—
Craig Shoup,
Nashville Tennessean,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The idea is to create a big, rich cheeseburger that is indulgent in every bite.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
On November 2, 2025, the Baltimore Museum of Art will open the mid-career survey capturing the power and poignancy of Sherald’s artistry, tracing her ascendance to the most influential figurative painter of our time.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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Jim Jarmusch‘s delicate triptych Father Mother Sister Brother, critically celebrated for its effortless poignancy, was the night’s dark horse champ, handing the American indie film icon his first Venice Golden Lion.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Parsons has been one of the better edge rushers in the league, posting double-digit sacks in each of his first four seasons in the NFL.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
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Rooms pair comfort with modern design and a hint of cool-kid edge, featuring warm wood bedframes, terrazzo slabs, and leather seating.—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Poignance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignance. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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