poignant Copy link Outline 1. ăcerbus (bitter, distressing)2. ācer, cris, cre (keen) • poignant: 1. ăcerbus (bitter, distressing): to experience the most p. grief, acerbissimum dolorem haurire, Cic. Coel. 24, 59. Join: magnum et acerbum dolorem [commovere], id. Verr. 4, 21, 47. 2. ācer, cris, cre (keen): p. repentance, a. poenitentia, Tac. H. 3, 51: p. grief, a. dolor, Virg. Aen. 7, 291. Phr.: to feel the most p. grief (less strong than Eng.), summo dolore affici, Cic. Fam. 1, 5, init.: to try to check grief, while it is fresh and p., dolori, dum recens saevit, occurrere, Sen. Cons. Helv. init.: grief becomes less p., dolor vires suas frangit, ib.: how p. is his wit, *qui sunt dicacitatis illius aculei! cf. Cic. de Or. 2, 55, init.