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Sorrowful vs Poignant - What's the difference?

sorrowful | poignant |

As adjectives the difference between sorrowful and poignant

is that sorrowful is of a person, full of sorrow; exhibiting sorrow; sad; dejected; distressed; distraught while poignant is sharp-pointed; keen.

sorrowful

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of a person, full of sorrow; exhibiting sorrow; sad; dejected; distressed; distraught.
  • Producing sorrow; exciting grief; mournful; lamentable; grievous.
  • sorrowful accident
  • * 1900 , L. Frank Baum , The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Chapter 23
  • She threw her arms around the Lion's neck and kissed him, patting his big head tenderly. Then she kissed the Tin Woodman, who was weeping in a way most dangerous to his joints. But she hugged the soft, stuffed body of the Scarecrow in her arms instead of kissing his painted face, and found she was crying herself at this sorrowful parting from her loving comrades.

    Synonyms

    * See also * mournful, lamentable, grievous * See also

    poignant

    English

    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.
  • Synonyms

    * (evoking strong mental sensation) distressing, moving

    References

    * OED 2nd edition 1989 * Webster Third New International 1986 ----