gnomic

[noh-mik, nom-ik] / ˈnoʊ mɪk, ˈnɒm ɪk /

ADJECTIVE

terse

Synonyms

STRONGEST

brusque concise cryptic curt elliptical incisive laconic pithy precise succinct trenchant

WEAK

abrupt aphoristic boiled down breviloquent clear-cut clipped close compact compendiary compendious condensed crisp cut to the bone epigrammatic exact in a nutshell lean neat pointed sententious short and sweet snappy summary taut to the point

Antonyms

STRONGEST

gentle kind lengthy long-winded nice polite verbose wordy

WEAK

prolix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wittgenstein’s central thesis is bold and bracing, while his gnomic aphorisms invite multiple, contradictory interpretations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 18, 2025

The movie does signal its darkly comedic aims from the moment we first see the actor’s gnomic man-child frown, which by now is a ready signifier of emotional and psychological deficiency.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2023

“I wished to make it reach all the way to infinity, but that’s technically impossible,” he added, laughing at himself, his habit even or especially when making gnomic pronouncements.

From New York Times • Jun. 9, 2023

But a year of seismic shifts - sometimes heralded via gnomic regulatory comments in state media or a confusing melange of leaks - makes it front of mind.

From Reuters • Dec. 9, 2021

I wasn’t sure what to make of this gnomic utterance.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

gnomic

Example Sentences

Related Words