poign·ant (poin?y?nt)adj.1. a. Arousing deep emotion, especially pity or sorrow; touching: a poignant memory; a poignant story. See Synonyms at moving.b. Keenly distressing to the mind or feelings: poignant anxiety.c. Physically painful: “Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward” (Ambrose Bierce).2. Piercing; incisive: poignant criticism.3. Agreeably intense or stimulating: “It was a poignant delight to breathe the keen air” (Joseph A. Altsheler).4. Archaic a. Sharp or sour to the taste; piquant.b. Sharp or pungent to the smell.[Middle English poinaunt, from Old French poignant, present participle of poindre, to prick, from Latin pungere; see peuk- in Indo-European roots.]poign?ance, poign?an·cy n.poign?ant·ly adv.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.poignant (?p??nj?nt; -n?nt) adj1. sharply distressing or painful to the feelings2. to the point; cutting or piercing: poignant wit. 3. keen or pertinent in mental appeal: a poignant subject. 4. pungent in smell[C14: from Old French, from Latin pungens pricking, from pungere to sting, pierce, grieve] ?poignancy, ?poignance n ?poignantly advCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014poign?ant (?p??n y?nt, ?p?? n?nt) adj. 1. keenly distressing to the feelings. 2. affecting the emotions: a poignant scene. 3. keen or strong in appeal; sharp; pointed: a subject of poignant interest. 4. pungent. [1350?1400; Middle English poynaunt