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Synonyms

pithy

American  
[pith-ee] / ˈpɪθ i /

adjective

pithier, pithiest

  1. brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible.

    a pithy observation.
    Synonyms:
    concise, meaty, pointed, succinct

  2. of, like, or abounding in pith.

pithy British  
/ ˈpɪθɪ /

adjective

  1. terse and full of meaning or substance

  2. of, resembling, or full of pith

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • pithily adverb
  • pithiness noun

Etymology

Origin of pithy

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; pith, -y 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Under Ms. Zambello’s pithy direction, those ensnared in the juggernaut can only lose.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

“As goes January, so goes the year,” is a pithy version of the concept.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

But like film, this pithy observation is often misinterpreted.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

West End Girl marries all of those emotions to pithy, witty storytelling that's been Allen's trademark since her debut, Alright, Still in 2006.

From BBC • Oct. 24, 2025

Could they repeat a few pithy phrases in Latin?

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.