brevity
Saying less well
Brevity is shortness, especially of expression.
A speaker known for brevity uses few words.
Brevity is the soul of wit suggests concise expression is more effective than lengthy elaboration.
The word applies to duration as well: the brevity of summer, the brevity of life.
Brief in expression
- pithyConcise and forceful
- terseBrief to bluntness
- succinctExpressed with minimal words
- curtAbruptly rude in speech
crisp · clipped · telegraphic · economical · spare · lean · tight · snappy
Verbal economy, pared down
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- economySystem of trade and production
- compactnessState of being compressed
terseness · succinctness · abridgment · summarization · distillation · pithiness · curtness · ellipsis
Pithy, memorable saying
- aphorismTerse general truth
- maximBrief moral principle
- adageTraditional pithy truth
- proverbTraditional saying expressing truth
apothegm · gnome · witticism · bon mot · quip · one-liner · soundbite · slogan
Passing very quickly
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- short-livedLasting only briefly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
- transitoryBrief in duration
passing · temporary · impermanent · evanescent · fugitive · quick · swift · flash
Accuracy of measurement
- lucidityClearness of mind
- directnessQuality of being straightforward
- straightforwardnessQuality of being direct
- plainnessUnadorned, straightforward quality
simplicity · explicitness · transparency · sharpness · crispness · clean · streamlined · minimalism
laconic
Brief in expression
curt · crisp · clipped · telegraphic · economical · spare · lean · tight · snappy · pointed
concision
Verbal economy, pared down
- compressionForcing into smaller space
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- economySystem of trade and production
compactness · terseness · succinctness · abridgment · summarization · distillation · pithiness · curtness · ellipsis · truncation
epigram
Pithy, memorable saying
proverb · apothegm · gnome · witticism · bon mot · quip · one-liner · soundbite · slogan · tagline
fleeting
Passing very quickly
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- short-livedLasting only briefly
- momentaryLasting very briefly
transitory · passing · temporary · impermanent · evanescent · fugitive · quick · swift · flash · flicker
precision
Accuracy of measurement
- lucidityClearness of mind
- directnessQuality of being straightforward
- straightforwardnessQuality of being direct
plainness · simplicity · explicitness · transparency · sharpness · crispness · clean · streamlined · minimalism · elegance
- clarityclearness, clear, obvious, simplification, concise
- Get to the Pointcut to the chase, bottom line, in a nutshell, spit it out, long story short
- HemingwaySantiago, Nobel Prize, Key West, Cuba, The Killers
- writing craftcreative writing, diction, fiction writing, pacing, novel writing
- writing stylediction, tone, style, prose, prose style
- Caesar's WritingLatin, Gallic Wars, third person, clarity
brevityverbosity
Unnecessary word excess
wordiness · long-windedness · prolixity · verboseness · garrulousness
brevitylongevity
Duration of existence
permanence · prolongation · protraction · duration · endurance
brevitylength
Measure of extent
lengthiness · elongation · extension · extensiveness · expansion
- brevity of lifeLife's limited duration
- poetic brevityEconomy in verse
abbreviation, abbreviate, abbreviated, abbreviating, abbreviations, abbreviator, unabbreviated