incisive

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: in=ci=sive

CIDE DICTIONARY

incisive, a. [Cf. F. incisif.].

•  Having the quality of incising, cutting, or penetrating, as with a sharp instrument; cutting;  G. Eliot.  [1913 Webster]

  "And her incisive smile accrediting
  That treason of false witness in my blush."  [1913 Webster]
•  Of or pertaining to the incisors; incisor; as, the incisive bones, the premaxillaries.  [1913 Webster]
•  Clearly and succinctly stated, with penetrating insight into the issue at hand; as, an incisive comment.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

incisive, adj.
1 mentally sharp; acute.
2 clear and effective.
3 cutting, penetrating.

Derivative

incisively adv. incisiveness n.

Etymology

med.L incisivus (as INCISE)

THESAURUS

incisive

acerb, acerbate, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulent, acidulous, acrid, acrimonious, active, acute, aggressive, animated, apperceptive, appercipient, argute, astringent, astute, biting, bitter, brisk, canny, caustic, clear-cut, cogent, corroding, corrosive, critical, cutting, cynical, discerning, double-edged, driving, dynamic, edged, effective, energetic, enterprising, enthusiastic, escharotic, farseeing, farsighted, fierce, forceful, forcible, foreseeing, foresighted, forethoughted, forethoughtful, full of pep, go-go, gutsy, harsh, hearty, imperative, impetuous, impressive, intense, ironical, keen, kinetic, lively, living, longheaded, longsighted, lusty, mettlesome, mordacious, mordant, nervous, penetrating, peppy, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, perspicuous, piercing, poignant, powerful, provident, punchy, rigorous, robust, rough, sagacious, sarcastic, sardonic, scathing, scorching, sensational, severe, sharp, shrewd, sinewed, sinewy, slashing, smacking, snappy, spanking, spirited, stabbing, stinging, strenuous, strident, striking, stringent, strong, take-charge, take-over, tart, telling, terse, trenchant, understanding, vehement, vibrant, vigorous, violent, virulent, vital, vitriolic, vivacious, vivid, withering, zestful, zesty, zippy

ROGET THESAURUS

incisive

Vigor

N vigor, power, force, boldness, raciness, intellectual, force, spirit, point, antithesis, piquance, piquancy, verve, glow, fire, warmth, strong language, gravity, sententiousness, elevation, loftiness, sublimity, eloquence, command of words, command of language, vigorous, nervous, powerful, forcible, trenchant, incisive, impressive, sensational, spirited, lively, glowing, sparkling, racy, bold, slashing, pungent, piquant, full of point, pointed, pithy, antithetical, sententious, lofty, elevated, sublime, eloquent, vehement, petulant, impassioned, poetic, in glowing terms, in good set terms, in no measured terms, thoughts that breath and words that burn.

Feeling

N feeling, suffering, endurance, tolerance, sufferance, supportance, experience, response, sympathy, impression, inspiration, affection, sensation, emotion, pathos, deep sense, warmth, glow, unction, gusto, vehemence, fervor, fervency, heartiness, cordiality, earnestness, eagerness, empressement, gush, ardor, zeal, passion, enthusiasm, verve, furore, fanaticism, excitation of feeling, fullness of the heart, passion, ecstasy, blush, suffusion, flush, hectic, tingling, thrill, turn, shock, agitation, quiver, heaving, flutter, flurry, fluster, twitter, tremor, throb, throbbing, pulsation, palpitation, panting, trepidation, perturbation, ruffle, hurry of spirits, pother, stew, ferment, state of excitement, feeling, sentient, sensuous, sensorial, sensory, emotive, emotional, of feeling, with feeling, warm, quick, lively, smart, strong, sharp, acute, cutting, piercing, incisive, keen, keen as a razor, trenchant, pungent, racy, piquant, poignant, caustic, impressive, deep, profound, indelible, deep felt, home felt, heartfelt, swelling, soul-stirring, deep-mouthed, heart-expanding, electric, thrilling, rapturous, ecstatic, earnest, wistful, eager, breathless, fervent, fervid, gushing, passionate, warm-hearted, hearty, cordial, sincere, zealous, enthusiastic, glowing, ardent, burning, red-hot, fiery, flaming, boiling over, pervading, penetrating, absorbing, rabid, raving, feverish, fanatical, hysterical, impetuous, impressed with, moved with, touched with, affected with, penetrated with, seized with, imbued with, devoured by, wrought up, struck all of a heap, rapt, in a quiver, enraptured, heart and soul, from the bottom of one's heart, ab imo pectore, at heart, con amore, heartily, devoutly, over head and ears, head over heels, the heart big, the heart full, the heart swelling, the heart beating, the heart pulsating, the heart throbbing, the heart thumping, the heart beating high, the heart melting, the heart overflowing, the heart bursting, the heart breaking, the heart goes out, a heart as big as all outdoors (sympathy).

Physical Energy

N energy, physical energy, force, power, keenness, intensity, vigor, strength, elasticity, go, high pressure, fire, rush, acrimony, acritude, causiticity, virulence, poignancy, harshness, severity, edge, point, pungency, cantharides, seasoning, activity, agitation, effervescence, ferment, fermentation, ebullition, splutter, perturbation, stir, bustle, voluntary energy, quicksilver, resolution, exertion, excitation, strong, energetic, forcible, active, intense, deep-dyed, severe, keen, vivid, sharp, acute, incisive, trenchant, brisk, rousing, irritation, poignant, virulent, caustic, corrosive, mordant, harsh, stringent, double-edged, double-shotted, double- distilled, drastic, escharotic, racy, potent, radioactive, strongly, fortiter in re, with telling effect, the steam is up, vires acquirit eundo, the race by vigor not by vaunts is won.