adj
Meaning 1
Fitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
trenchant
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈtɹɛnʃənt/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: T R EH1 N CH AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
adj
Meaning 2
Fitted to trench or cut; gutting; sharp.
Adapted for tearing into flesh.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Keen; biting; vigorously articulate and effective; severe.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
- trenchant wit
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
clearly or sharply defined to the mind
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- clear-cut evidence of tampering
- Claudius was the first to invade Britain with distinct...intentions of conquest
- trenchant distinctions between right and wrong
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: clear-cut, distinct
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
characterized by or full of force and vigor
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- a hard-hitting expose
- a trenchant argument
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: hard-hitting
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- searching insights
- trenchant criticism
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: searching
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Borrowed into Middle English from Old French trenchant, the present participle of trenchier (“to cut”).
Across languages
Translations
33 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: рязко очертан (rjazko očertan) — sharp
- Finnish: pureva — sharp
- Finnish: terävä — sharp
- French: tranchant — sharp
- German: schneidend — sharp
- Ido: tranchiva — sharp
- Ido: tranchema — sharp
- Polish: ostry — sharp
- Portuguese: cortante — sharp
- Portuguese: afiado — sharp
- Russian: о́стрый (óstryj) — sharp
- Swedish: skarp — sharp
- Bulgarian: рязък (rjazǎk) — biting, severe
- Bulgarian: язвителен (jazvitelen) — biting, severe
- Finnish: pureva — biting, severe
- Finnish: terävä — biting, severe
- German: treffsicher — biting, severe
- German: prägnant — biting, severe
- German: beißend — biting, severe
- German: pointiert — biting, severe
- German: scharf — biting, severe
- German: stechend — biting, severe
- Hebrew: חריף (kharíf) — biting, severe
- Hebrew: שנון (shanún) — biting, severe
- Polish: ostry — biting, severe
- Polish: stanowczy — biting, severe
- Polish: cięty — biting, severe
- Polish: kąśliwy — biting, severe
- Portuguese: mordaz — biting, severe
- Portuguese: incisivo — biting, severe
- Russian: ко́лкий (kólkij) — biting, severe
- Swedish: bitande (kritik) — biting, severe
- Swedish: kraftfull — biting, severe