pithy

[pith-ee]

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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

Related formspith·i·ly, adverbpith·i·ness, noun

Synonyms for pithy

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1. succinct, pointed, meaty, concise.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for pithiness

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

British Dictionary definitions for pithiness

pithy

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.