different between poignant vs witty
poignant
English
Etymology
From Middle English poynaunt, poynant, borrowed from Anglo-Norman puignant, poynaunt etc., present participle of poindre (“to prick”), from Latin pung? (“prick”).
Pronunciation
- (General American, Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /?p??n.j?nt/, /?p???.?nt/
- (obsolete) IPA(key): /?p??.n?nt/
- Hyphenation: poign?ant (per American Heritage and Random House); poi?gnant (per Merriam-Webster)
Adjective
poignant (comparative more poignant, superlative most poignant)
- (obsolete, of a weapon, etc.) Sharp-pointed; keen.
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VII:
- His siluer shield, now idle maisterlesse; / His poynant speare, that many made to bleed [...].
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VII:
- Neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant.
- Evoking strong mental sensation, to the point of distress; emotionally moving.
- Synonyms: distressing, moving
- (figuratively, of a smell, taste) Piquant, pungent.
- (figuratively, of a look, word) Incisive; penetrating; piercing.
- (chiefly Britain, dated) Inducing sharp physical pain.
Related terms
- poignancy
- poignantly
Translations
References
- OED 2nd edition 1989
- Webster Third New International 1986
Anagrams
- Paignton
French
Etymology
From Old French poignant, present participle of poindre. Possibly corresponds to Latin pung?ns, pungentem.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pwa.???/
Verb
poignant
- present participle of poindre
- present participle of poigner
Adjective
poignant (feminine singular poignante, masculine plural poignants, feminine plural poignantes)
- poignant
References
Further reading
- “poignant” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Old French
Etymology
Present participle of poindre. Possibly corresponds to Latin pung?ns, pungentem.
Verb
poignant
- present participle of poindre
Adjective
poignant m (oblique and nominative feminine singular poignant or poignante)
- pointed; pointy
Descendants
- ? English: poignant
- French: poignant
poignant From the web:
- what poignant means
- what poignant means in spanish
- what poignant antonym
- poignant what does it mean
- poignant what is the definition
- what does poignant mean in english
- what does poignant
- what does poignant moment mean
witty
English
Etymology
From Middle English witty, witti, from Old English witti? (“clever, wise”), equivalent to wit +? -y,See Norwegian Bokmål vettig.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /?w?ti/
- (US) IPA(key): /?w?ti/, [?w??i]
- Rhymes: -?ti
Adjective
witty (comparative wittier, superlative wittiest)
- (obsolete) Wise, having good judgement.
- Then cam there a lady that was a wytty lady, and she seyde playnly unto the Kyng […] that he sholde never be hole but yf that Sir Trystrames wente into the same contrey than the venym came fro, and in that contrey sholde he be holpyn, other ellys never.
- (archaic) Possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity; intelligent, skilful, ingenious.
- Clever; amusingly ingenious.
- Full of wit.
- Quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits.
Synonyms
- facetious
- humorous
- jocose
- jocular
- quick
- lively
- See also Thesaurus:witty
Translations
witty From the web:
- what witty means
- what wittyfeed do
- what's witty banter
- what's witty humor
- what witty man
- what witty mean in spanish
- what's witty in german
- witty what does it mean
you may also like
- poignant vs witty
- strike vs vanquish
- restraint vs imperturbability
- bland vs amicable
- hallway vs road
- soon vs openly
- well-behaved vs advantageous
- trot vs rush
- begrime vs defile
- command vs mutter
- pure vs earnest
- implicate vs commingle
- marvelous vs gracious
- check vs soothe
- unwieldy vs hefty
- conjectural vs possible
- politiness vs affability
- shallow-brained vs incautious
- faction vs camp
- reward vs satisfy