Adjective

(en adjective)

(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 [...].

Incisive; penetrating.

His comments were poignant and witty.

neat; eloquent; applicable; relevant.

A poignant reply will garner more credence than hours of blown smoke.

Evoking strong mental sensation, to the point of distress; emotionally moving.

Flipping through his high school yearbook evoked many a poignant memory of yesteryear.

(figuratively, of a taste or smell) Piquant, pungent.

Piercing.

(dated, mostly British) Inducing sharp physical pain.

Adjective

(en-adj)

Full of liveliness and activity; characterized by quickness of motion or action; lively; spirited; quick.

We took a brisk walk yesterday.

* {{quote-news, year=2012

, date=December 29 , author=Paul Doyle , title=Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle , work=The Guardian citation , page= , passage=Ba, who has been linked with a January move to Arsenal, should have rewarded their brisk start with the opening goal in the 16th minute. }}

Full of spirit of life; effervescing, as liquors; sparkling; as, brisk cider.

Stimulating or invigorating.

This morning was a brisk fall day. It wasn't cold enough for frost, but you wanted to keep moving.

Abrupt, curt in one's manner or in relation to others.

* 1919 ,

Her manner was brisk, and her good-breeding scarcely concealed her conviction that if you were not a soldier you might as well be a counter-jumper.