Synonyms of pithy

pithy

adjective

ˈpi-thē 

as in concise

marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning

a fairly pithy criticism about a notably lengthy novel

Synonyms & Similar Words

• concise
• brief
• summary
• succinct
• terse
• aphoristic
• epigrammatic
• short
• curt
• blunt
• sententious
• telegraphic
• laconic
• monosyllabic
• compendious
• crisp
• compact
• thumbnail
• capsule
• condensed
• elliptical
• abrupt
• apothegmatic
• abbreviated
• brusque
• meaningful
• shortened
• abridged
• substantial
• meaty
• snippy
• curtailed
• snippety
• significant
• well-turned

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wordy
• prolix
• circuitous
• verbose
• rambling
• redundant
• diffuse
• repetitious
• windy
• tautological
• long-winded
• enlarged
• circumlocutory
• exaggerated
• supplemented
• expanded
• pleonastic
• tautologous
• inflated
• embroidered
• embellished

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective pithy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pithy are compendious, concise, laconic, succinct, summary, and terse. While all these words mean "very brief in statement or expression," pithy adds to succinct or terse the implication of richness of meaning or substance.

a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners

When could compendious be used to replace pithy?

The words compendious and pithy can be used in similar contexts, but compendious applies to what is at once full in scope and brief and concise in treatment.

a compendious dictionary

In what contexts can concise take the place of pithy?

Although the words concise and pithy have much in common, concise suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative.

a concise description

Where would laconic be a reasonable alternative to pithy?

In some situations, the words laconic and pithy are roughly equivalent. However, laconic implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious.

an aloof and laconic stranger

When is it sensible to use succinct instead of pithy?

The words succinct and pithy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, succinct implies the greatest possible compression.

a succinct letter of resignation

When would summary be a good substitute for pithy?

The synonyms summary and pithy are sometimes interchangeable, but summary suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation.

a summary listing of the year's main events

When is terse a more appropriate choice than pithy?

The meanings of terse and pithy largely overlap; however, terse implies pointed conciseness.

a terse reply

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pithy

Any pithy comment could be turned into a rallying cry or rocket fuel. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026

That’s the pithy one-liner that menswear creator Elliot Duprey’s followers will sometimes parrot back to him on the streets of New York, after recognizing him from his videos. —Ashley Ogawa Clarke, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2026

Tarantino’s movies are known for pithy, profane dialogue and are liberally peppered with pop-culture references, graphic violence, and over-the-top cinematic flourishes. —Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026

One popular approach is to embrace the lesson of Firth’s pithy quote and measure whether two models’ representations of an input keep the same company. —Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 7 Jan. 2026