gist
Meaning(s)
1. the basic meaning or understanding of sth
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
got the gist
Analysis
The noun 'gist' means the general understanding or meaning of a text, speech or talk. If you get the 'gist' of something it means you have a rough understanding of what it was about but not the details. You might say you 'got the gist' to communicate you understood the basics or the main point in a set of instructions. This noun can be used in professional or social contexts.
Social Examples (Basic)
- I couldn't understand every word, but I got the gist of what the French speaker was saying.
- Do you get the gist of what I'm saying? My point is there's no way out of here.
- My boss didn't get the gist of what I was saying because he was so distracted by his phone.
Professional Examples (Basic)
- I am going to assume you have all read the report in-depth and just go through the gist of it for now.
- I only understand the gist of how the system works. Can you demonstrate some of the advanced features?