pith·y

[pith-ee]
adjective, pith·i·er, pith·i·est.
1.
brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible: a pithy observation.
2.
of, like, or abounding in pith.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English; see pith, -y1

pith·i·ly, adverb
pith·i·ness, noun


1. succinct, pointed, meaty, concise.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To pithiness
Collins
World English Dictionary
pithy (ˈpɪθɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj , pithier, pithiest
1.  terse and full of meaning or substance
2.  of, resembling, or full of pith
 
'pithily
 
adv
 
'pithiness
 
n

00:10
Pithiness is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
pithy (ˈpɪθɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj , pithier, pithiest
1.  terse and full of meaning or substance
2.  of, resembling, or full of pith
 
'pithily
 
adv
 
'pithiness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

pithy
c.1300, "full of substance or significance," from pith. Figurative sense is oldest; literal meaning "Full of pith" not attested until 1560s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Example sentences
These days digital eloquence is defined by pithiness.
The pithiness of the statement was quite catchy, but the substance was dead wrong.
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT