epigram

[ ep-i-gram ]
/ ˈɛp ɪˌgræm /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR epigram ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed.
epigrammatic expression: Oscar Wilde had a genius for epigram.
a short, often satirical poem dealing concisely with a single subject and usually ending with a witty or ingenious turn of thought.

Origin of epigram

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin epigramma < Greek epígramma inscription, epigram. See epi-, -gram1

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH epigram

epigram epigraph epitaph epithet

Words nearby epigram

epiglottitis, epignathous, epigone, epigoni, epigonus, epigram, epigrammatic, epigrammatize, epigraph, epigraphic, epigraphy

Words related to epigram

aphorism, joke, motto, quip, quirk

Example sentences from the Web for epigram

British Dictionary definitions for epigram

epigram
/ (ˈɛpɪˌɡræm) /

noun

a witty, often paradoxical remark, concisely expressed
a short, pungent, and often satirical poem, esp one having a witty and ingenious ending

Derived forms of epigram

epigrammatic, adjective epigrammatically, adverb

Word Origin for epigram

C15: from Latin epigramma, from Greek: inscription, from epigraphein to write upon, from graphein to write

Cultural definitions for epigram

epigram

Any pithy, witty saying or short poem. An aphorism can serve as an epigram, if it is brief.

notes for epigram

Several authors are noted for their epigrams, including Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde. One of Wilde's epigrams is “I can resist everything except temptation.”

notes for epigram

Two other words are similar: an epigraph is usually an inscription, as on a statue; an epitaph can be such an inscription or it can be a brief literary note commemorating a dead person.