pithy

[ pith-ee ]

/ ˈpɪθ i /

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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.

Nearby words

Origin of pithy

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

SYNONYMS FOR pithy

1 succinct, pointed, meaty, concise.

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

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

Examples from the Web for pithy

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
On opening the trench I stripped away the pithy outer stalks and found in almost all of them large sound hearts.
In Pastures Green|Peter McArthur
This is, in fact, a pithy summary of our most elementary and necessary wants.
Social Rights And Duties|Leslie Stephen
The one in the righthand corner is old, with a ragged pileus; the vertical section shows the pithy contents of the stem.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise|M. E. Hard
Then comes his trial and condemnation, the account of which is most remarkable precise and pithy.
The History of the Catnach Press|Charles Hindley
The racial creed has been expressed at different times in a number of pithy expressions current in the Southern states.
The Journal of Negro History, Vol. I. Jan. 1916|Various

British Dictionary definitions for pithy

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 pithy

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

adjective, pith·i·er, pith·i·est.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of pithy

Examples from the Web for pithy

British Dictionary definitions for pithy

pithy

adjective pithier or pithiest

Word Origin and History for pithy

pithy