pointedly

P3O1I1N1T1E1D2L1Y4

adverb

Explicitly; with emphasis; so as to make a point, especially with criticism.

“I was pointedly ignored.”

UncommonScrabble 15

Meanings

adverbpointedly (comparative more pointedly, superlative most pointedly)

comparative more pointedly · superlative most pointedly

  1. Explicitly; with emphasis; so as to make a point, especially with criticism.

    The film echoes a central question from all the Wick films, though: is he a natural-born murderer? Or a good man underneath it all? "This is who you are," the Marquis tells him. "A killer." The question is pointedly unresolved here.

    2023 March 14, Caryn James, “John Wick: Chapter 4: 'Soars above most action films'”, in BBC
    1 more example

    In a second ruling on Sunday, Immergut expanded on her earlier order, temporarily blocking the administration from deploying troops from any state to Portland, and pointedly questioning an administration attorney over what she characterized as an attempt to circumvent her earlier order.

    2025 October 6, Michael Williams, “Who is Karin Immergut, the Trump-appointed judge who ruled against his push to deploy troops in Oregon?”, in CNN
  2. obsoleteWittily or pithily.
  3. Markedly, intentionally conspicuously.

    I was pointedly ignored.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

pointedly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pointedly

MLA

“pointedly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pointedly. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pointedly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pointedly.

Source: pointedly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.