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pithy

[ pith-ee ]
/ ˈpɪθ i /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pithy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, pith·i·er, pith·i·est.

brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible: a pithy observation.
of, like, or abounding in pith.

RELATED WORDS

condensation, economy, transitoriness, terseness, conciseness, crispness, concision, ephemerality, transience, impermanence, succinctness, curtness

Nearby words

pitheco-, pithecoid, pithoi, pithom, pithos, pithy, pitiable, pitier, pitiful, pitifully, pitiless

Origin of pithy

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at pith, -y1
Related formspith·i·ly, adverbpith·i·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for pithiness

pithy

/ (ˈpɪθɪ) /

adjective pithier or pithiest

terse and full of meaning or substance
of, resembling, or full of pith
Derived Formspithily, adverbpithiness, noun
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

Word Origin and History for pithiness

pithy

adj.

early 14c., "strong, vigorous," from pith (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "full of substance or significance" is from 1520s; literal meaning "full of pith" not attested until 1560s. Related: Pithily; pithiness.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper