Synonyms for incisive
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Sharp — having the quality of incising, cutting, or penetrating, as with a sharp instrument; trenchant
sharp, trenchant, perceptive, acute, sarcastic, penetrating, biting, keen, piercing, penetrative, cutting, severe, discriminating, knifelike, poignant, satirical, caustic, pungent, mordant, stinging, discerning, acrimonious
2. Forthright — quickly proceeding to judgment and forceful in expression. (of an action)
Definitions
- adj. 1
Quickly proceeding to judgment and forceful in expression. (of an action)
An incisive producer, who expressed vehement disapproval with my pitch upon my first sentence.
- adj. 2
Having the quality of incising, cutting, or penetrating, as with a sharp instrument; trenchant.
Related words
- Word family
- incisively incisiveness
- Phrases
- incisive bone
Example sentences
- sarcastic I wonder whether Tom and Mary are being sarcastic.
- penetrating Helium is capable of penetrating glass.
- perceptive Too much alcohol paralyzes our perceptive powers.
- trenchant The criticism was trenchant but fair.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| incisive | steady | |
| sarcastic | rising | |
| penetrating | steady | |
| perceptive | falling | |
| trenchant | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- keen1
- 5 letters
- sharp1, acute2
- 6 letters
- severe2, biting2
- 7 letters
- cutting2, caustic2, pungent2, mordant2
- 8 letters
- decisive3, piercing2, poignant2, stinging2
- 9 letters
- sarcastic3, satirical4, trenchant2, knifelike2
- 10 letters
- perceptive3, discerning3, forthright2
- 11 letters
- penetrating4, acrimonious5, penetrative
- 14 letters
- discriminating5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (acute2 = 2 syllables).