poignant

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The Word of the Day for July 31 is:

poignant   \POY-nyunt\   adjective
     1 : pungently pervasive
     2 a (1) painfully affecting the feelings : piercing *(2) 
deeply affecting : touching  b : designed to make an 
impression : cutting
     3 a : pleasurably stimulating  b : being to the point : apt

Example sentence:
     During the poignant scene in the movie where the long-lost 
lovers were reunited, sniffles could be heard throughout the 
theater.

Did you know?
     "Poignant" comes to us from Anglo-French, and before that 
from Latin -- specifically, the Latin verb "pungere," 
meaning "to prick or sting." Several other common English words 
derive from "pungere," including "pungent," which can refer to, 
among other things, a "sharp" odor. The influence of "pungere" 
can also be seen in "puncture," as well as "punctual," which 
originally meant simply "of or relating to a point." 
Even "compunction" and "expunge" come from this pointedly 
relevant Latin word.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.