Definition of epigramnext
as in proverb
an often stated observation regarding something from common experience Benjamin Franklin's famous epigram, "Remember that time is money"

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Recent Examples of epigram By greatly expanding the dimensions of his images, with their muted palettes, tight cropping, found symmetries, and laconic wit, had the maestro of the photographic epigram betrayed his subtractive aesthetic? — James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026 Johnson is the author of the epigrams, but Boswell is very much the co-author. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026 Holmes’ feed is a babbling stream of self-help epigrams, ankle-deep reflections and many, many photos of herself. — Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 10 Dec. 2025 That celebrated epigram is delivered by the character of Octave, who is the greatest creation of Renoir’s career—not least because he’s played by Renoir in a performance that’s essentially a self-portrait, even an onscreen self-creation. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 July 2025 It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. — Jann E. Freed, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 Her poems of that era — sonnets, epigrams, eminently quotable snippets of rhymed gossip — pulse with the dynamism and attitude of the modern city. — A.o. Scott, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 Throughout, Snook hams for laughs, turning Wilde’s witticisms and epigrams into slapstick. — Christian Lewis, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epigram
Noun
  • The underlying lesson of the proverb dates back at least to the time of the first Olympics in Greece — nearly 3,000 years ago, for those counting at home.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2026
  • That proverb, attributed to everyone from Yogi Berra to a Danish Nobel laureate, springs to mind whenever someone asks me about an upcoming NFL season.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Everybody, according to an old saying of unknown but apparently wise origin, is an expert at raising other people’s kids.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026
  • To quote another Mexican saying, por eso estamos como estamos.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Davis said another group of students arrived and the two exchanged words before gunfire erupted.
    — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Why does Gleb discount the power of those words and feel himself invulnerable?
    — Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • At one point, Lowe and Rogan joked about the hoary aphorism that says anyone who isn’t a liberal at 25 has no heart, but anyone who isn’t a conservative by 35 has no head.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026
  • What remains are cinematic aphorisms that may well be true, but cannot alone tell a compelling story.
    — Elena Lazic, Variety, 25 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Epigram.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epigram. Accessed 1 Oct. 2026.

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