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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of poignance
If reproductive futurism is fixated on meaning-making, as in, drawing existential poignance out of the illusion of progress and succession, then Edelman’s proposition encourages the rejection of meaning and determinacy itself in the pursuit of ideological liberation.
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Alex Quicho, Wired, 9 Jan. 2022
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
In the song’s intro, processional drums and a trembling guitar line promised a power ballad with all the poignance of a Steven Spielberg movie.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2022
See all Example Sentences for poignance 
Alex Quicho, Wired, 9 Jan. 2022
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
In the song’s intro, processional drums and a trembling guitar line promised a power ballad with all the poignance of a Steven Spielberg movie.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2022
See all Example Sentences for poignance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for poignance
Noun
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Located just below Tak, Izakaya is ideal for quick bites of sushi and sips of sake in a casual setting.Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2024
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Betting on one brand gives you only one bite at the apple.Gary Stern, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Cruelty and short-sightedness can run both ways along that spectrum, and part of the poignancy of Counting and Cracking lies in its generosity and emotional maturity.Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2024
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In Browning’s telling, the messenger’s valiant run and dying words take on a poignancy that inspired readers, among them the inventors of the modern Olympic Games.Miriam Kamil, JSTOR Daily, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Read More: See Photos from the Raging Franklin Fire in Malibu Much of the devastation occurred in Malibu, a community of about 10,000 people on the western edge of Los Angeles known for its stunning bluffs and Zuma Beach, which features in many Hollywood films.Christopher Weber, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
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Then use a thin metal spatula to loosen bars around the edges of the pan.Sheena Chihak, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near poignance
Cite this Entry
“Poignance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/poignance. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
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