Some people say a great deal in a few words; others use a great many words to say very little. This topic gathers the words for both. Half praise economy (concise, succinct, pithy), a few describe people who simply talk very little (laconic, taciturn), and the rest describe a flood of talk (verbose, garrulous, voluble).
Key idea
Few words, well chosen: concise, succinct, pithy, brevity. Few words, maybe too few: terse, laconic, taciturn. Many words: verbose (in speech or writing), garrulous (chatter about little things), voluble (fast, fluent, eager talk).
The ten words
Common mistake
laconic and taciturn are close: a laconic person speaks briefly; a taciturn person seldom speaks at all. succinct is pronounced suk-SINKT.
| few words | how it feels | many words | how it feels |
|---|---|---|---|
| concise, succinct | clear and efficient (praise) | verbose | padded with extra words |
| pithy | short and full of meaning | garrulous | chatter about little things |
| terse, laconic, taciturn | sparing with words, maybe cold | voluble | fast, fluent, eager |
laconic and taciturn are close cousins. A laconic person answers, but very briefly (“Fine.”). A taciturn person tends not to talk at all and may seem unfriendly. And succinct is said suk-SINKT: both c’s count.