Trenchant means sharp, clear and forceful in criticism. A trenchant analysis, trenchant criticism, trenchant and fair.
It is praise, since a trenchant remark cuts to the heart of the matter rather than merely wounding. The French behind it means cutting, and a trench is the same word.
1adjectivetrenchantSharp, clear and forceful in criticism.
“Her trenchant analysis left nothing of the argument standing.”
trenchant is a quality.
Old French trenchant is the present participle of trenchier, to cut; a trench is the same word.
Old French
trenchant
English, today
trenchant
Built from
Borrowed into Middle English - from Old French trenchant, the present participle of trenchier (“to cut”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA