VocabauraVOCABAURA

pointed

adjective

Simple meaning

Having a relevance to the matter at hand: pertinent.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

poyntuhd

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈpɔɪntəd

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adjective

  1. comparable

    Having a relevance to the matter at hand: pertinent, relevant.

  2. comparable

    Sharp, barbed; not dull.

  3. in combination

    Having a certain number of points.

  4. comparableof a comment or inference

    Directed negatively at a person or topic.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A2 · Elementary (estimated)
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: (comparable) Having a relevance to the matter at hand: pertinent, relevant.

Used this way, pointed is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Nearby words

  • acicular , rarer, so it draws attention
  • acuminate , rarer, so it draws attention

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use pointed

  • “He pointed to the direction we needed to go.”

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “pointed”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

pointed starpointed endpointed arches

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • pointnounBase word

    A geometric element that has position but no extension.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • pointernounPerson or profession

    A mark to indicate a direction or relation.

  • pointlessadjectiveDerived adjective

    Not having a point especially a sharp point.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • pointed archnounCompound term

    An arch with a pointed apex.

  • pointed-leaf maplenounCompound term

    Small shrubby Japanese plant with leaves having 5 to 7 acuminate lobes.

  • sharp-pointedadjectiveCompound term

    Having a sharp point.

  • blue pointednounCompound term

    Common blue-grey shark of southwest Pacific.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: having a relevance to the matter at hand

lanceolate

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “pointed” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.