Poignant
/ˈpɔɪ.njənt/noun
Evoking a strong feeling of sadness, sympathy, or emotional intensity.
Did you know?In older English and French, poignant could describe something physically sharp or piercing before it developed its modern sense of emotional pain.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peug-
“To prick, stab, or strike sharply”
Ancient Latin
Latin
pungere
“To prick, puncture, or sting”
Late Latin
Latin
pungens
“Pricking, piercing, or sharp”
12th Century
Old French
poindre / poignant
“To prick; piercing or sharply painful”
14th Century
Middle English
poignant
“Sharp, painful, or physically piercing”
Modern English
English
poignant
“Emotionally piercing, deeply moving, or sorrowfully affecting”
Explore more surprising origins