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epigram

noun/ˈepɪɡræm/

C2CEFR level
60/100Rarity: rare
LiteraryRegister

A concise, pointed saying, often satirical and paradoxical.

The critic reduced his entire review to a single devastating epigram.

Similar: aphorism, witticism, maxim

Origin: From Greek epigramma, inscription, from epigraphein to write on.

Topic: wit in General English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More general words: wit