pithy

[pith-ee]

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.

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

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. succinct, pointed, meaty, concise.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pithy

Contemporary Examples

I had the pleasure of hearing one—a short, pithy gem called “The Italian System”—at a reading in Trastevere last month.
Literary City: Taiye Selasi’s Rome
Henry Krempels
December 13, 2013
Each work is a pithy marvel that captures the languorous excitement (and sometimes the radiant gloom) of a summer day to remember.
One Perfect Summer Day in Virginia Woolf, Saul Bellow and Others
Matt Seidel
September 25, 2013
Mandery knows when to be pithy and when to go long, like in passages about the subtleties of memoranda.
This Week’s Hot Reads: August 19, 2013
Jen Vafidis
August 19, 2013
She was always alert to what was going on, and her comments were pithy and to the point.
Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan: The Ultimate ’80s Power Couple
George Shultz
April 8, 2013
He defines Dynamic Inaction with one pithy aphorism: “When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder.”
When In Doubt, Mumble—Dynamic Inaction May Be Our Best Hope
Joe McLean
April 6, 2013

Historical Examples

The form of his judgment had to be pithy, striking, engraved within a ring.
Notes on Life and Letters
Joseph Conrad
Hamlet saw that pithy old Polonius was a preposterous and orotund ass.
Pipefuls
Christopher Morley
I crystallized my ideas into pithy sentences which a child could have understood.
Love Among the Chickens
P. G. Wodehouse
Immense was the applause that followed the short, pithy speech of the Bourgeois.
The Golden Dog
William Kirby
I particularly enjoyed the pithy judgment in about five words on Comte.
More Letters of Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin

British Dictionary definitions for pithy

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 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.

pithy

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}pithy

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for pithy

Contemporary Examples

I had the pleasure of hearing one—a short, pithy gem called “The Italian System”—at a reading in Trastevere last month.

Each work is a pithy marvel that captures the languorous excitement (and sometimes the radiant gloom) of a summer day to remember.

Mandery knows when to be pithy and when to go long, like in passages about the subtleties of memoranda.

She was always alert to what was going on, and her comments were pithy and to the point.

He defines Dynamic Inaction with one pithy aphorism: “When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder.”

Historical Examples

The form of his judgment had to be pithy, striking, engraved within a ring.

Hamlet saw that pithy old Polonius was a preposterous and orotund ass.

I crystallized my ideas into pithy sentences which a child could have understood.

Immense was the applause that followed the short, pithy speech of the Bourgeois.

I particularly enjoyed the pithy judgment in about five words on Comte.

pithy

Word Origin and History for pithy

adj.

Origin of pithy