English Explanatory Dictionary

succinct

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj

Encircled by, or as if by, a girdle; drawn up or wrapped tightly.
Of some pupae: encircled by a thread of silk around the centre.
Of clothes: not loose; close-fitting, tight-fitting.
Compressed into a small area; compact.
Of an action, etc.: lasting a short time; brief, curt.
Of speech or writing: brief and to the point; concise.

adv

Synonym of succinctly (“briefly, concisely”).

Pronunciation

/səkˈsɪŋ(k)t/ /sə(k)ˈsɪŋ(k)t/ En-us-succinct.ogg

Word forms

succinct more succinct succincter most succinct succinctest

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English succinte, succynt (“having one’s waist encircled with something, girdled; brief, concise, succinct”), borrowed from Old French succinct (modern French succinct), or directly from its etymon Latin succīnctus (“belted, girdled; enclosed or tightly wrapped; (figurative) concise, succinct; etc.”), the perfect passive participle of succingō (“to gather or tuck up with a belt, etc.”), from suc- (a variant of sub- (prefix meaning ‘under’), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *upó (“from below; up”)) + cingō (“to encircle, surround; to gird”) (further etymology uncertain). The adverb is derived from the adjective.

Synonyms

bundled up cinched engirdled girdled as tight as Dick's hatband body-hugging bodycon clingsome clingy close-fitting figure-hugging form-fitting skinny skintight slim-fit slinky snug succinct tight tight-fitting laconic terse brief concise crisp lapidary short-winded to the point taut succinctly

Antonyms

baggy relaxed full loose loose-fitting pouchy saggy slack

Related words

succinctorium succinctory succincture

Derived words

succinctly succinctness unsuccinct

Translations

Finnish: sidottu Finnish: vyötetty Latin: succīnctus

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

Back to search All on S Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary