GIST

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does gist mean? 

• GIST (noun)
  The noun GIST has 2 senses:

1. the central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work

2. the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience

  Familiarity information: GIST used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GIST (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The central meaning or theme of a speech or literary work

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

burden; core; effect; essence; gist

Hypernyms ("gist" is a kind of...):

import; meaning; significance; signification (the message that is intended or expressed or signified)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

center; centre; core; essence; gist; heart; heart and soul; inwardness; kernel; marrow; meat; nitty-gritty; nub; pith; substance; sum

Context example:

the nub of the story

Hypernyms ("gist" is a kind of...):

cognitive content; content; mental object (the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gist"):

bare bones ((plural) the most basic facts or elements)

hypostasis ((metaphysics) essential nature or underlying reality)

haecceity; quiddity (the essence that makes something the kind of thing it is and makes it different from any other)

quintessence (the purest and most concentrated essence of something)

stuff (a critically important or characteristic component)