insightful
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of insightful
Explanation
What English teachers want from students writing papers is insightful analysis –– thinking that sees beyond the obvious and expresses an original thought. With this word, remember in- and -sight-. When you have the ability to look (sight) inside (in) something––a painting, a discussion, a situation––and find what others aren't seeing, you are being insightful. An insightful person is someone capable of deep, insightful thinking.
Vocabulary lists containing insightful
Positive Words to Describe People, List 1
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Words to Describe a Novel or a Story
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Cover Letter Language
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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.
It’s an insightful and effective innovation in director Carl Cofield’s otherwise straightforward—and effectively streamlined—staging.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026
Unfortunately, the juggling of storylines ends up being more schematic than insightful.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
He’s insightful, like when he used his experience with the World Cup-winning France team in 1998 to describe the transition happening with the surging U.S. men’s team.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
Other valuation ratios aren’t particularly insightful since many IPOs come to market before booking any earnings.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
He was the Machiavelli of Ohio politics, the classic behind-the-scenes fixer, a shrewd and insightful judge of character or, at least, political opportunity.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
