diff --git a/error_test.go b/error_test.go
index 674b1596a..64dab191c 100644
--- a/error_test.go
+++ b/error_test.go
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ package zap
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"testing"
 
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zapcore"
 
-	richErrors "github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func TestErrorArrayConstructor(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestErrorsArraysHandleRichErrors(t *testing.T) {
-	errs := []error{richErrors.New("egad")}
+	errs := []error{fmt.Errorf("egad")}
 
 	enc := zapcore.NewMapObjectEncoder()
 	Errors("k", errs).AddTo(enc)
@@ -94,6 +94,4 @@ func TestErrorsArraysHandleRichErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	errMap, ok := serialized.(map[string]interface{})
 	require.True(t, ok, "Expected serialized error to be a map, got %T.", serialized)
 	assert.Equal(t, "egad", errMap["error"], "Unexpected standard error string.")
-	assert.Contains(t, errMap["errorVerbose"], "egad", "Verbose error string should be a superset of standard error.")
-	assert.Contains(t, errMap["errorVerbose"], "TestErrorsArraysHandleRichErrors", "Verbose error string should contain a stacktrace.")
 }
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index bf4a1b363..455dae496 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ go 1.19
 
 require (
 	github.com/benbjohnson/clock v1.3.0
-	github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.1
 	go.uber.org/goleak v1.2.0
 	go.uber.org/multierr v1.10.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 77712781d..ffa795531 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSs
 github.com/kr/pretty v0.1.0 h1:L/CwN0zerZDmRFUapSPitk6f+Q3+0za1rQkzVuMiMFI=
 github.com/kr/text v0.2.0 h1:5Nx0Ya0ZqY2ygV366QzturHI13Jq95ApcVaJBhpS+AY=
 github.com/kr/text v0.2.0/go.mod h1:eLer722TekiGuMkidMxC/pM04lWEeraHUUmBw8l2grE=
-github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1 h1:FEBLx1zS214owpjy7qsBeixbURkuhQAwrK5UwLGTwt4=
-github.com/pkg/errors v0.9.1/go.mod h1:bwawxfHBFNV+L2hUp1rHADufV3IMtnDRdf1r5NINEl0=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZbAQM=
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/stretchr/objx v0.1.0/go.mod h1:HFkY916IF+rwdDfMAkV7OtwuqBVzrE8GR6GFx+wExME=
diff --git a/zapcore/error_test.go b/zapcore/error_test.go
index 900f52020..d8263abc1 100644
--- a/zapcore/error_test.go
+++ b/zapcore/error_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"testing"
 
-	richErrors "github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 
 	"go.uber.org/multierr"
@@ -113,34 +112,28 @@ func TestErrorEncoding(t *testing.T) {
 		},
 		{
 			k:     "k",
-			iface: richErrors.WithMessage(errors.New("egad"), "failed"),
+			iface: fmt.Errorf("failed: %w", errors.New("egad")),
 			want: map[string]interface{}{
-				"k":        "failed: egad",
-				"kVerbose": "egad\nfailed",
+				"k": "failed: egad",
 			},
 		},
 		{
 			k: "error",
 			iface: multierr.Combine(
-				richErrors.WithMessage(
+				fmt.Errorf("hello: %w",
 					multierr.Combine(errors.New("foo"), errors.New("bar")),
-					"hello",
 				),
 				errors.New("baz"),
-				richErrors.WithMessage(errors.New("qux"), "world"),
+				fmt.Errorf("world: %w", errors.New("qux")),
 			),
 			want: map[string]interface{}{
 				"error": "hello: foo; bar; baz; world: qux",
 				"errorCauses": []interface{}{
 					map[string]interface{}{
 						"error": "hello: foo; bar",
-						"errorVerbose": "the following errors occurred:\n" +
-							" -  foo\n" +
-							" -  bar\n" +
-							"hello",
 					},
 					map[string]interface{}{"error": "baz"},
-					map[string]interface{}{"error": "world: qux", "errorVerbose": "qux\nworld"},
+					map[string]interface{}{"error": "world: qux"},
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -161,17 +154,10 @@ func TestErrorEncoding(t *testing.T) {
 func TestRichErrorSupport(t *testing.T) {
 	f := Field{
 		Type:      ErrorType,
-		Interface: richErrors.WithMessage(richErrors.New("egad"), "failed"),
+		Interface: fmt.Errorf("failed: %w", errors.New("egad")),
 		Key:       "k",
 	}
 	enc := NewMapObjectEncoder()
 	f.AddTo(enc)
 	assert.Equal(t, "failed: egad", enc.Fields["k"], "Unexpected basic error message.")
-
-	serialized := enc.Fields["kVerbose"]
-	// Don't assert the exact format used by a third-party package, but ensure
-	// that some critical elements are present.
-	assert.Regexp(t, `egad`, serialized, "Expected original error message to be present.")
-	assert.Regexp(t, `failed`, serialized, "Expected error annotation to be present.")
-	assert.Regexp(t, `TestRichErrorSupport`, serialized, "Expected calling function to be present in stacktrace.")
 }