as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
Oscar Wilde's epigrammatic observation, "In America the young are always ready to give to those who are older than themselves the full benefits of their inexperience"
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Recent Examples of epigrammatic
Some who craft epigrammatic verse can sound hollow, like slamming together tins in hopes that someone will infer meaning from the noise.
—
Nick Ripatrazone
july 10, Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
The dialogue itself, epigrammatic and substantial, stylized and expressive, is consistent with Kogonada’s over-all approach.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Though its action is depicted crisply and clearly, its epigrammatic shots aim straight for the viewer’s unconscious, making only glancing contact with the rational mind.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell (1791) The best and most entertaining biography ever written in English — addictive for its prescient, informal, racy prose and Johnson's epigrammatic precision and enduring decency.
—The Week Staff, The Week, 20 Mar. 2023
Dylan is helplessly epigrammatic.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2022
There’s nothing wrong with epigrammatic rhetoric.
—Jon Meacham, Town & Country, 30 Oct. 2022
Nick Ripatrazone
july 10, Literary Hub, 10 July 2025
The dialogue itself, epigrammatic and substantial, stylized and expressive, is consistent with Kogonada’s over-all approach.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 June 2025
Though its action is depicted crisply and clearly, its epigrammatic shots aim straight for the viewer’s unconscious, making only glancing contact with the rational mind.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell (1791) The best and most entertaining biography ever written in English — addictive for its prescient, informal, racy prose and Johnson's epigrammatic precision and enduring decency.
—The Week Staff, The Week, 20 Mar. 2023
Dylan is helplessly epigrammatic.
—Dwight Garner, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2022
There’s nothing wrong with epigrammatic rhetoric.
—Jon Meacham, Town & Country, 30 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epigrammatic
Adjective
-
McVey, 28, has reaped a personal bonus from the concise coaching: he’s been freed up to develop his game by not having to direct traffic as much.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Aug. 2025
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Then draft a concise, personalized cover letter highlighting my strongest fit points.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The speech marked the foundation of an independent Vietnam after nearly a century of French colonial rule and a brief Japanese occupation during World War II, but the French did not recognise the new country and fought a decade-long war, which ended with their defeat in 1954.—
Phuong Nguyen,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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In brief, the basic issue is the Second Amendment in a secular country.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Not surprisingly, given the risk of summary execution, many had initial doubts.—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
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The young man risked beatings that would end in summary execution for sneaking in extra food to prisoners who were supposed to be the empire’s work-and-starve-to-death slaves.—
Charles Pellegrino,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Epigrammatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epigrammatic. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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