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Synonyms

pithy

American  
[pith-ee] / ˈpɪθ i /

adjective

pithier, pithiest

  1. brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible.

    a pithy observation.
    Synonyms:
    concise, meaty, pointed, succinct

  2. of, like, or abounding in pith.

pithy British  
/ ˈpɪθɪ /

adjective

  1. terse and full of meaning or substance

  2. of, resembling, or full of pith

"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

Other Word Forms

  • pithily adverb
  • pithiness noun

Etymology

Origin of pithy

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; pith, -y 1

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.

“As goes January, so goes the year,” is a pithy version of the concept.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

But like film, this pithy observation is often misinterpreted.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

During her club gigs, Ms. Smith introduced a sharper, original approach to rock that was raw and pithy, salted with hidden references to 1960s girl groups, R&B balladeers and garage-rock bands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

"There's a touch too much auto-tune on her voice at times, but no doubting her ability to convey raw emotion with sharp, pithy pop."

From BBC • Oct. 24, 2025

I intend to draw Miss Trixie out rather shortly; 1 suspect that this Medusa of capitalism has many valuable insights and more than one pithy observation to offer.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

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.