What is the word for poignant, but with a positive connotation? – l

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/180988/what-is-the-word-for-poignant-but-with-a-positive-connotation#:~:text=Poignant%20denotes%20touching%20and%20significant%2C%20but%20typically%20with%20a%20negative%20connotation.

O

Have you done a thesaurus search on “poignant”? I’ll bet there are other words or phrases that may have a slightly different flavor – such as “heart-felt moment”, “touching”, “meaningful”, etc. –
Kristina Lopez
Jun 26, 2014 at 16:08
‘Poignant’ is the often painful counterpart of the often pleasurable ‘piquant’. ‘Connotation’ is misused in the question, but the particular misuse is common; the question is also overstating the case with respect to senses of ‘poignant’, but the same would hold true of a reversal with reference to piquant: “Piguant denotes touching and significant, but is often used to refer to pleasurably stimulating or fascinating sensations or ideas. Is there a word that has that same general sense, but is often used to refer to painfully stimulating or fascinating sensations or ideas (poignant)?” –
JEL
Sep 2, 2016 at 5:04
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As far as I know, poignant does have a positive connotation, meaning something that is moving or touching but also slightly painful. One wouldn’t describe an event as a ‘poignant tribute’ if it had a negative connotation.

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answered Jun 26, 2014 at 15:12
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thecrease
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Agreed. There is no negative connotation to poignant. Words that have a negative connotation are words like mawkish, blubbery, even sentimental. –
FeliniusRex – gone
Jun 26, 2014 at 15:18
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The negativity is in the sadness (cf heart-rending) of poignancy, which normally refers to the past; there is always some regret in reviewing the past, and that’s part of being poignant. But not necessarily

• ‘Poignant’ is the often painful counterpart of the often pleasurable ‘piquant’. ‘Connotation’ is misused in the question, but the particular misuse is common; the question is also overstating the case with respect to senses of ‘poignant’, but the same would hold true of a reversal with reference to piquant: “Piguant denotes touching and significant, but is often used to refer to pleasurably stimulating or fascinating sensations or ideas. Is there a word that has that same general sense, but is often used to refer to painfully stimulating or fascinating sensations or ideas (poignant)?” – JEL Sep 2, 2016 at 5:04

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As far as I know, poignant does have a positive connotation, meaning something that is moving or touching but also slightly painful. One wouldn’t describe an event as a ‘poignant tribute’ if it had a negative connotation.

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answered Jun 26, 2014 at 15:12

• Agreed. There is no negative connotation to poignant. Words that have a negative connotation are words like mawkish, blubbery, even sentimental. – FeliniusRex – gone Jun 26, 2014 at 15:18
• 1The negativity is in the sadness (cf heart-rending) of poignancy, which normally refers to the past; there is always some regret in reviewing the past, and that’s part of being poignant. But not necessarily 

• ‘Poignant’ is the often painful counterpart of the often pleasurable ‘piquant’. ‘Connotation’ is misused in the question, but the particular misuse is common; the question is also overstating the case with respect to senses of ‘poignant’, but the same would hold true of a reversal with reference to piquant: “Piguant denotes touching and significant, but is often used to refer to pleasurably stimulating or fascinating sensations or ideas. Is there a word that has that same general sense, but is often used to refer to painfully stimulating or fascinating sensations or ideas (poignant)?” – JEL Sep 2, 2016 at 5:04

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6

As far as I know, poignant does have a positive connotation, meaning something that is moving or touching but also slightly painful. One wouldn’t describe an event as a ‘poignant tribute’ if it had a negative connotation.

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answered Jun 26, 2014 at 15:12

thecrease

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• Agreed. There is no negative connotation to poignant. Words that have a negative connotation are words like mawkish, blubbery, even sentimental. – FeliniusRex – gone Jun 26, 2014 at 15:18
• 1The negativity is in the sadness (cf heart-rending) of poignancy, which normally refers to the past; there is always some regret in reviewing the past, and that’s part of being poignant. But not necessarily