trenchant.

Clear, penetrating, and forcefully expressed, especially in criticism or analysis.

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Words that belong together

• trenchant criticism
• trenchant observation

On the page

Her trenchant criticism exposed the plan’s central weakness.

He offered a trenchant observation rather than another accusation.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary. Forms: Comparative more trenchant; superlative most trenchant. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.