Noun: poignancy poyn-yun(t)-see
- A quality that arouses emotions (especially pity or sorrow)
"the film captured all the poignancy of their situation";
- pathos
- A state of deeply felt distress or sorrow
"a moment of extraordinary poignancy";
- poignance
Derived forms: poignancies
Type of: quality, sadness, sorrow, sorrowfulness, tristesse [literary]