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
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
On his plane plastered with Trumpian epigrams, Vance makes the case for Trump’s second-term vision of enhanced executive power.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024
No one could tell the clock by him; no one could quote an epigram of his; no one could ever remember his being a friend of their daddy—or even their granddaddy.
—E. L. Doctorow, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
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
On his plane plastered with Trumpian epigrams, Vance makes the case for Trump’s second-term vision of enhanced executive power.
—Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 26 Sep. 2024
No one could tell the clock by him; no one could quote an epigram of his; no one could ever remember his being a friend of their daddy—or even their granddaddy.
—E. L. Doctorow, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epigram
Noun
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And there’s a proverb, this idea of the secret of getting old.—
Renée Onque,
CNBC,
26 Nov. 2025
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For nine months, Erasmus spent his short nights in a modest dorm and his long days in the print shop, expanding on his collection of proverbs Adagiorum chiliades while Aldus proofread, craftsman carefully laying sets of print and rolling paper through the press.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Turnovers come in bunches, the saying goes.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
4 Jan. 2026
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Kids can be cruel, as the old saying goes.—
Dr. Mahvash Madni,
Boston Herald,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Knueppel beamed slightly when those words were relayed to him.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
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However, the application must only include a 500-word description of the idea and an informal video that is no longer than three minutes summarizing the idea.—
Angela George,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In 1975, Eno and the artist Peter Schmidt devised a deck of a hundred cards, each printed with a blunt aphorism intended to crack open some creative conundrum.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
29 Nov. 2025
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Indeed, Schiffmann was more prone to citing postmodernist aphorisms and artists than famous venture capitalists and tech founders.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Epigram.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epigram. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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