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
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
In recent years, the magazine has published several short, often epigrammatic poems by Simic.
—Hannah Aizenman, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2023
For the next 10 minutes or so, Godard, smoking his familiar cigar, meditates on this vexing, evergreen question with his characteristic intelligence, opacity and epigrammatic wit.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022
With the help of blankly matter-of-fact yet omniscient voice-over narration (spoken by Madeleine James), D’Ambrose achieves the span and the depth of a cinematic bildungsroman in shards of experience and epigrammatic flickers.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2022
Munro’s characters are drawn from the upper classes, and his prose is droll in the British way—wry and epigrammatic.
—The New Yorker, 28 June 2021
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
In recent years, the magazine has published several short, often epigrammatic poems by Simic.
—Hannah Aizenman, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2023
For the next 10 minutes or so, Godard, smoking his familiar cigar, meditates on this vexing, evergreen question with his characteristic intelligence, opacity and epigrammatic wit.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022
With the help of blankly matter-of-fact yet omniscient voice-over narration (spoken by Madeleine James), D’Ambrose achieves the span and the depth of a cinematic bildungsroman in shards of experience and epigrammatic flickers.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2022
Munro’s characters are drawn from the upper classes, and his prose is droll in the British way—wry and epigrammatic.
—The New Yorker, 28 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for epigrammatic
Adjective
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His words articulated a feeling many football fans have felt in a concise and beautiful way.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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Now, the need to articulate our thoughts with precision compels us to deconstruct complex ideas, identify underlying assumptions, and formulate straightforward, concise questions.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The tour through Rome’s historic center came after Francis made his first appearance in five weeks to give a thumbs-up and brief blessing from a hospital balcony.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2025
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In addition to her recurring role on Melrose Place as antagonistic neurosurgeon Dr. Irene Shulman, Young has guest starred on Bones, This Is Us, and made a brief appearance in the Marvel superhero threequel Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023).—
Andrew Walsh,
EW.com,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Ukraine is investigating more than 150,000 possible war crimes committed by Russia, including the summary execution of prisoners and targeted aerial strikes against civilians.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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He is accused of acting as the de facto leader of the Davao Death Squad, a group that was responsible for summary executions and the murder or disappearance of more than 1,000 people in and around the city.—
Lisandro Claudio,
The Conversation,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Epigrammatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/epigrammatic. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.
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