# pithy

/ˈpɪθi/ (US) · /pˈɪθi/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pithy
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

short and clear, but full of meaning or clever ideas. You use it for comments or writing that says a lot in few words.

For teachers: concise and forcefully expressive, conveying much meaning in few words. Typically describes remarks, summaries, or pieces of writing.

## Examples

- She gives short, pithy answers in meetings.
- The coach ends practice with a pithy reminder: work hard and support each other.
- His review was pithy yet fair, capturing the novel's ambition and flaws in a single paragraph that readers quoted for weeks.

## Synonyms

concise, succinct

## Antonyms

rambling, wordy, verbose

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.