pithy

[ pith-ee ]

See synonyms for: pithy pithiness 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.

Origin of pithy

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at pith, -y¹

Other words for pithy

1	succinct, pointed, meaty, concise

See synonyms for pithy on Thesaurus.com

Other words from pithy

pith·i·ly, adverb
pith·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pithy in a sentence

The very pithiness of it, so characteristic of the excellent but bigoted Omar, is enough to cast suspicion upon it.
The Unseen World and Other Essays | John Fiske

British Dictionary definitions for pithy

pithy

/ (ˈpɪθɪ) /

adjectivepithier or pithiest

terse and full of meaning or substance
of, resembling, or full of pith

Derived forms of pithy

pithily, adverb
pithiness, 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

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