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Trenchant vs Emphatic - What's the difference?

trenchant | emphatic |

As adjectives the difference between trenchant and emphatic

is that trenchant is (obsolete) fitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp while emphatic is characterized by emphasis.

As a noun emphatic is

(phonology) an emphatic consonant.

trenchant

English

Alternative forms

* trenchaunt (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Fitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp.
  • *1663 ,
  • *:The trenchant blade, Toledo trusty, / For want of fighting was grown rusty, / And ate into itself, for lack / Of somebody to hew and hack.
  • (figuratively) Keen]]; [[bite, biting; vigorously effective and articulate; severe; as, trenchant wit.
  • *1899 ,
  • *:His eyes, of the usual blue, were perhaps remarkably cold, and he certainly could make his glance fall on one as trenchant and heavy as an axe.
  • emphatic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * emphatick (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Characterized by emphasis.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=June 28 , author=Jamie Jackson , title=Wimbledon 2012: Lukas Rosol shocked by miracle win over Rafael Nadal , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=Yet when play restarted the Czech was a train that kept on running over Nadal. After breaking Nadal in the opening game of the final set, he went 2-0 up and later took the count to 4-2 with yet another emphatic ace – one of his 22 throughout.}}
  • Stated with conviction.
  • He gave me an emphatic no when I asked him out.
  • belonging to set of English tense forms comprising the auxiliary verb do + an infinitive without to
  • (phonology) of obstruent consonants in Semitic languages.
  • Derived terms

    * emphatically

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (phonology) an emphatic consonant
  • See also

    * phatic

    Anagrams

    *