to say less and mean more

1 7.9

To show a strong idea with very few words

idiom

: decir menos y significar más

Great writers often say less and mean more through subtle details and implications.

Examples

In negotiations, it's sometimes better to say less and mean more to make your intentions clear.
She could say less and mean more with just a single look.
You should say less and mean more in your speeches.
Why can't he just say less and mean more?
He always tries to say less and mean more during discussions, valuing clarity over verbosity.
In her speech, she aimed to say less and mean more to ensure her message resonated deeply.
To connect better with the audience, the speaker decided to say less and mean more by using powerful examples.

Synonyms

to speak volumes

vsto say less and mean more

Informal

31 5.7

To show a lot without using words

uses very few words to express deep or important meaning

to speak trimmingly

vsto say less and mean more

9.9

Say something in a brief, critical way

focuses on conveying strong meaning with very few words

How Concise

to say less and mean more

1 7.9

gesture

245 3.2

to word

44 4.9

to go into detail

14 3.4

Surface Forms

say less and mean more infinitive

said less and meant more past

said less and meant more past participle

saying less and meaning more present participle

says less and means more third person singular

Morphology

say + less + and + mean + more

The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'say less' literally means to speak fewer words and 'mean more' literally means to have greater significance, with the contrast signaled by 'less'/'more' and joined by 'and'. This is a compositional, rhetorical instruction common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Say less and mean more comes from advice for writers and speakers: the idea is that a few clear words can show big ideas, like an artist who draws a face with one strong line. So when you say less and mean more, you use few words that carry a lot, which is why the phrase means 'to express a lot with few words'.