Meaning & use
incisive
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableapproving
Showing clear, sharp thinking that cuts straight to the key point of a problem.
Grammar: Used for minds, remarks and analysis: an incisive question, a more incisive reply.
Patterns
- incisive analysis
- incisive comment on something
The editor's incisive comments helped her tighten the article.
An incisive question from the audience exposed the flaw in the plan.
The report offers an incisive analysis of the housing crisis.
adjectivecomparable
Direct and cutting in tone, though precise rather than cruel.
Grammar: Used for wit and criticism that is sharp but exact.
Patterns
- incisive wit
- incisive criticism
Her incisive wit made the dinner speech memorable.
The critic is known for incisive reviews that do not waste words.
He answered with an incisive remark that silenced the room.
Word forms
| comparative | more incisive |
|---|---|
| superlative | most incisive |
Common combinations
- incisive analysis
- The article gave an incisive analysis of the election result.
- incisive mind
- She has an incisive mind and spots errors quickly.
- incisive question
- An incisive question changed the direction of the meeting.
- incisive comment
- His incisive comment summed up the whole debate.
- incisive wit
- The comedian's incisive wit won over the crowd.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sharp
- Sharp is a general, everyday word for quick thinking, whereas incisive suggests precise, penetrating judgment of a particular issue.
- penetrating
- Penetrating suggests deep insight into hidden matters, while incisive stresses clarity and economy of expression.
- acute
- Acute emphasizes keen perception and sensitivity, but incisive adds the sense of cutting directly to the point.
- trenchant
- Trenchant is more forceful and often more critical than incisive, and is rarer in everyday speech.
Opposites
Word family
- incisively adverb
- in a sharp, clear and direct way
- incisiveness noun
- the quality of being incisive
- incision noun
- a cut made with a sharp tool, especially in surgery
- incise verb
- to cut into a surface with a sharp tool
- incisor noun
- a sharp front tooth used for cutting
Commonly confused: incisive or decisive? incisive or invasive?
incisive vs decisive
Decisive means able to make firm decisions or settle a matter, while incisive describes sharp, clear thinking or expression.
incisive vs invasive
Invasive means spreading into or entering where it is not wanted, which is unrelated to sharp thinking.
Practice
Which adjective best completes the sentence? The lawyer's ___ cross-examination quickly exposed the contradiction in the witness's story.
Choose one answer.
Incisive describes sharp, precise questioning that gets to the heart of a matter. Rambling, evasive and vague all describe the opposite: unfocused or unclear speech.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “incisive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.