HOW TO PRONOUNCE
poignant
/ˈpɔɪnjənt/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:13
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Start with the vowel in “boy.”
The gn spelling leads into an n and y sequence rather than a hard g, before the light final vowel.
2 syllables · Stress on syllable 1
TRY SAYING
“The film ends with a poignant farewell.”
APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗What does poignant mean?
adjective
- Neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant.
- Evoking strong mental sensation, to the point of distress; emotionally moving.
- (figuratively) Piquant, pungent.
More meanings (3)
adjective
- (figuratively) Incisive; penetrating; piercing.
- (obsolete) Sharp-pointed; keen.
- (dated) Inducing sharp physical pain.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈpɔɪnjənt/
Pronunciation used in the listening tip.
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
In fact, the mineral paint business, however painful its interest, was, for the moment, superseded by a more poignant anxiety.
To fall into muddy water, is a sign that you will make many bitter mistakes, and will suffer poignant grief therefrom.
More book examples (3)
It was some time before we knew the tragic details which came home, direct and poignant, to us in Adelie Land.
These encounters with strange children are one of the charming and at the same time poignant graces of the environs of Paris.
Octavie felt as if she had passed into a stage of existence which was like a dream, more poignant and real than life.