Merriam Webster Word of the Day

trenchant


adjective | TREN-chunt

tren·​chant ˈtren-chənt

Synonyms of trenchant

1
: keen, sharp
2
: vigorously effective and articulate
a trenchant analysis
also : caustic
trenchant remarks
3
a
: sharply perceptive : penetrating
a trenchant view of current conditions
b
: clear-cut, distinct
the trenchant divisions between right and wrong—
Edith Wharton

trenchantly adverb

What It Means

Trenchant is a formal word that is usually used to describe communication that is notably strong, clear, and perceptive, or in other words, “sharp.”

// The author’s trenchant wit was very evident in the critique she wrote of the much-acclaimed film.

// Trenchant insights made eloquently by the speaker clearly affected many of those in the audience.

Did you know?

There’s much to know about the word trenchant, but we’ll cut to the chase. The word trenchant comes from the Anglo-French verb trencher, meaning “to cut.” Hence, a trenchant sword is one with a keen edge. Nowadays, trenchant mostly describes things that don’t cut deep literally, but that are still felt: a trenchant remark is one that cuts close to the bone, and a trenchant observation is one that cuts to the heart of the matter. In addition to meaning “caustic” and “sharply perceptive,” trenchant also carries a sense meaning “very strong, clear, and effective” that may be used, for instance, to describe a persuasive essay written with intellectual rigor. If you find yourself forgetting these “edgy” definitions, you might dig up a familiar relative of trenchant: the noun trench, which refers to a long cut or ditch in the ground.


Example Sentences


a writer with a trenchant wit even the most trenchant sword could not sever the bonds of loyalty between them
Recent Examples on the Web John David Washington has been an unsatisfactory actor in films like Tenet and BlacKkKlansman, but the poignancy Russell discovers in that weak, sad, boyish face may be the most trenchant example of racial fellow-feeling ever captured in Hollywood’s white liberal history. —
Armond White, National Review, 7 Oct. 2022 Either way, the result is a film that miraculously manages to look outward through its self-reflexive prism, exploring humans' capacity for change and growth within a trenchant self-parody of both high-minded artists and the lower-minded Hollywood machine. — Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2020 Watching this show is reminiscent of reading social media, where a backspin of attitude is often expected to convert a bland statement of good values into something actually funny or trenchant. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 1 Nov. 2022