What does epigram mean?
Word: Epigram
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Epigram means a short, clever saying or poem, usually with a witty twist.
How do you spell epigram?
Syllables: ep - i - gram
Tricky part: Students who know the British word programme sometimes add extra letters here. This word stops at a single m.
Watch out for: epigramme, epigramm
Memory tip: An epigram is brief, so its spelling is brief as well: stop at the single m, with nothing after it.
Epigram in a sentence
Example 1: Our English teacher wrote an epigram on the board and asked us to explain the joke.
Example 2: Grandfather ends every long talk with a neat epigram.
Example 3: Oscar Wilde's plays are full of epigrams that still make audiences laugh.
Fun Fact
In ancient Greece an epigram was a short inscription cut into a statue or monument. Poets later borrowed the form and sharpened it into a joke.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
ep_gr_m
a) i, a
b) i, u
c) e, a
d) a, a
Show answer
a) i, a. The middle vowel is a short i, and the ending matches diagram.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
eppigram
a) g
b) p
c) r
d) m
Show answer
b) p. A single p follows the e.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The witty parigme on the staffroom noticeboard made every teacher smile before lessons began.
a) epigram
b) diagram
c) epigraph
d) episode
Show answer
a) epigram. There is no h, d or s among the seven letters, so the other three cannot be built.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. satire 2. anecdote 3. parrody 4. epigram
a) a short true story from someone's life
b) a funny copy of a serious work or style
c) a neat, amusing line of verse or prose
d) writing that uses humour to criticise people in power
Show answer
b) a funny copy of a serious work or style. Parody needs just one r.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which line could be called an epigram?
a) The school fair begins at ten.
b) Brevity is the soul of wit.
c) The Godavari flows through Nashik.
d) Please return all books by Friday.
Show answer
b) Brevity is the soul of wit.
2. What would spoil an epigram most?
a) a surprising final turn
b) a long, wordy explanation
c) a neat contrast of ideas
d) a touch of dry humour
Show answer
b) a long, wordy explanation
