pithiness
/'piθinis/
Definition
Noun: - Conciseness and substance in expression: The quality of being pithy; expressing much in few words with force and clarity. - Vigorous conciseness: The characteristic of language that is both brief and meaningful, containing significant substance or force.
Usage
- Describing writing or speech: Used to characterize a style of communication that is notably concise yet full of meaning.
- As a quality or attribute: Refers to the property of being pithy.
Examples
- The pithiness of the proverb made it easy to remember and powerful in its message.
- Her report was praised for its pithiness, conveying complex data in just three pages.
- The author's pithiness is evident in his short stories, where every sentence carries weight.
Advanced Usage
- "The pithiness of aphorisms": A common phrase highlighting how sayings or maxims exemplify this quality by packing wisdom into a few words.
- "Achieving pithiness": Often discussed as a goal in editing, journalism, or technical writing to improve clarity and impact.
Variants and Related Words
- Pithy (adj): (Of language or style) concise and forcefully expressive.
- She gave a pithy summary of the events.
- Pithily (adv): In a pithy manner.
- He commented pithily on the proposal.
Synonyms
- Conciseness: Brevity and clarity in expression.
- Succinctness: The quality of being expressed clearly and in a few words.
- Terseness: Sparing use of words, sometimes to the point of abruptness.
- Brevity: Shortness of time or duration; conciseness of expression.
Antonyms
- Verbosity: The quality of using more words than needed.
- Prolixity: Extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length.
- Wordiness: Using an excessive number of words.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- Economy of language: A principle of using the fewest possible words to convey an idea, closely related to pithiness.
- Laconic style: A manner of speaking or writing that uses very few words, often seen as a form of pithiness.
Noun
-
terseness and economy in writing and speaking achieved by expressing a great deal in just a few words
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