trenchant

adjective

tren·chant ˈtren-chənt

Synonyms of trenchant next

: keen, sharp

: vigorously effective and articulate

a trenchant analysis

also : caustic

trenchant remarks

: sharply perceptive : penetrating

a trenchant view of current conditions

: clear-cut, distinct

the trenchant divisions between right and wrong—

Edith Wharton

trenchantly adverb

Did you know?

There’s much to know about the word trenchant, but we’ll cut to the chase. The word trenchant comes from the Anglo-French verb trencher, meaning “to cut.” Hence, a trenchant sword is one with a keen edge. Nowadays, trenchant mostly describes things that don’t cut deep literally, but that are still felt: a trenchant remark is one that cuts close to the bone, and a trenchant observation is one that cuts to the heart of the matter. In addition to meaning “caustic” and “sharply perceptive,” trenchant also carries a sense meaning “very strong, clear, and effective” that may be used, for instance, to describe a persuasive essay written with intellectual rigor. If you find yourself forgetting these “edgy” definitions, you might dig up a familiar relative of trenchant: the noun trench, which refers to a long cut or ditch in the ground.

Examples of trenchant in a Sentence

a writer with a trenchant wit even the most trenchant sword could not sever the bonds of loyalty between them

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Though the original film in the Purge franchise had deeply trenchant messaging, subsequent sequels have become even more political, with deep warnings about inequality, systemic abuse and racial injustice. —

Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 1 Oct. 2024 Looming over all of this is Netflix, one of the first subscription streaming services and the first to figure out most of the trenchant questions facing the industry, while growing to 290 million subscribers worldwide. —

David Bloom, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024 As a result, those earlier, more trenchant observations about Frida’s plight are underbaked by the story’s end. —

Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2024 But this time around, in Industry’s most thematically cohesive outing yet, creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay have woven together each character’s storyline with a trenchant critique of capitalism that brands itself as benevolent. —

Judy Berman, TIME, 2 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for trenchant