Having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect:
— Trenchant criticism.

synonym: searching.

Roget 932: disapproving etc. v.; scandalized.    disparaging, condemnatory, damnatory^†, denunciatory, reproachful, abusive, objurgatory^†, clamorous, vituperative; defamatory etc. 934.    satirical, sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, dry, sharp, cutting, biting, severe, withering, trenchant, hard upon; censorious, critical, captious, carping, hypercritical; fastidious etc. 868; sparing of praise, grudging praise.    disapproved, chid etc. v.; in bad odor, blown upon, unapproved; unblest^†; at a discount, exploded; weighed in the balance and found wanting.    blameworthy, reprehensible etc. (guilt) 947; to blame, worthy of blame; answerable, uncommendable, exceptionable, not to be thought of; bad etc. 649; vicious etc. 945.    unlamented, unbewailed^†, unpitied^†.    ... show more

Roget 572: concise, brief, short, terse, close; to the point, exact; neat, compact; compressed, condensed, pointed; laconic, curt, pithy, trenchant, summary; pregnant; compendious etc. (compendium) 596; succinct; elliptical, epigrammatic, quaint, crisp; sententious.    ... show more

Roget 574: vigorous, nervous, powerful, forcible, trenchant, incisive, impressive; sensational.    spirited, lively, glowing, sparkling, racy, bold, slashing; pungent, piquant, full of point, pointed, pithy, antithetical; sententious.    lofty, elevated, sublime; eloquent; vehement, petulant, impassioned; poetic.    ... show more

Roget 642: important; of importance etc. n.; momentous, material; to the point; not to be overlooked, not to be despised, not to be sneezed at; egregious; weighty etc. (influential) 175; of note etc. (repute) 873; notable, prominent, salient, signal; memorable, remarkable; unforgettable; worthy of remark, worthy of notice; never to be forgotten; stirring, eventful.    grave, serious, earnest, noble, grand, solemn, impressive, commanding, imposing.    urgent, pressing, critical, instant.    paramount, essential, vital, all-absorbing, radical, cardinal, chief, main, prime, primary, principal, leading, capital, foremost, overruling; of vital importance &c.. in the front rank, first-rate; superior etc. 33; considerable etc. (great) 31; marked etc. v.; rare etc. 137.    significant, telling, trenchant, emphatic, pregnant; tanti [Lat.].    ... show more

Roget 821: feeling etc. v.; sentient; sensuous; sensorial, sensory; emotive, emotional; of feeling, with feeling etc. n.. warm, quick, lively, smart, strong, sharp, acute, cutting, piercing, incisive; keen, keen as a razor; trenchant, pungent, racy, piquant, poignant, caustic.    impressive, deep, profound, indelible; deep felt, home felt, heartfelt; swelling, soul-stirring, deep-mouthed, heart-expanding, electric, thrilling, rapturous, ecstatic.    earnest, wistful, eager, breathless; fervent; fervid; gushing, passionate, warm-hearted, hearty, cordial, sincere, zealous, enthusiastic, glowing, ardent, burning, red-hot, fiery, flaming; boiling over.    pervading, penetrating, absorbing; rabid, raving, feverish, fanatical, hysterical; impetuous etc. (excitable) 825.    impressed with, moved with, touched with, affected with, penetrated with, seized with, imbued with etc. 82; devoured by; wrought up etc. (excited) 824; struck all of a heap; rapt; in a quiver etc. n.; enraptured etc. 829.    ... show more

Roget 895: discourteous, uncourteous^†; uncourtly^†; ill-bred, ill-mannered, ill-behaved, ill-conditioned; unbred; unmannerly, unmannered; impolite, unpolite^†; unpolished, uncivilized, ungenteel; ungentleman-like, ungentlemanly; unladylike; blackguard; vulgar etc. 851; dedecorous^†; foul-mouthed foul-spoken; abusive.    uncivil, ungracious, unceremonious; cool; pert, forward, obtrusive, impudent, rude, saucy, precocious.    repulsive; uncomplaisant^†, unaccommodating, unneighborly, ungallant; inaffable^†; ungentle, ungainly; rough, rugged, bluff, blunt, gruff; churlish, boorish, bearish; brutal, brusque; stern, harsh, austere; cavalier.    taint, sour, crabbed, sharp, short, trenchant, sarcastic, biting, doggish, caustic, virulent, bitter, acrimonious, venomous, contumelious; snarling etc. v.; surly, surly as a bear; perverse; grim, sullen etc. 901.1; peevish etc. (irascible) 901.    untactful, impolitic, undiplomatic; artless etc. 703; ... show more

Roget 171: strong, energetic, forcible, active; intense, deep-dyed, severe, keen, vivid, sharp, acute, incisive, trenchant, brisk.    rousing, irritation; poignant; virulent, caustic, corrosive, mordant, harsh, stringent; double-edged, double-shotted^†, double-distilled; drastic, escharotic^†; racy etc. (pungent) 392.    potent etc. (powerful) 157; radioactive.    ... show more

Polish: przenikliwy

Characterized by or full of force and vigor:
— A trenchant argument.

synonym: hard-hitting.

Clearly or sharply defined to the mind:
— Trenchant distinctions between right and wrong.

synonyms: clear-cut, distinct.

Roget 535: asserting etc. v.; declaratory, predicatory^†, pronunciative^†, affirmative, soi-disant [Fr.]; positive; certain etc. 474; express, explicit etc. (patent) 525; absolute, emphatic, flat, broad, round, pointed, marked, distinct, decided, confident, trenchant, dogmatic, definitive, formal, solemn, categorical, peremptory; unretracted^†; predicable.    ... show more