"Terse" means being brief, concise, and to the point. It can often be seen as curt, brusque, and even rude in some situations. When someone is terse, they use a few words instead of many, only leaving the essential words to communicate their message.
For instance, you may attend a dinner party where you meet many new faces. You start to chat with a man your age, but his responses are all terse and short, which makes it seem like he wants to quickly end the conversation. You may find his responses are not friendly and a bit rude, so you decide to end the conversation and talk to someone else.
Synonyms of "terse" include:
- Concise
- Succinct
- Brief
- Curt
- Laconic
- Pithy
- Abrupt
Example sentences
- Her email responses were always terse, leaving little room for further discussion.
- The detective's report was written in a terse style, highlighting only the essential details of the case.
- In just a few terse words, he conveyed his disappointment with the project's progress.
- The teacher's feedback on the assignment was quite terse, offering minimal guidance for improvement.
- The newspaper article provided a terse summary of the events leading up to the election.
- Despite his usual loquaciousness, his reaction was surprisingly terse when asked about the incident.
- The speaker's response to the challenging question was a terse nod and a brief smile.
- The old manuscript was filled with terse notes in the margins, written by scholars who had studied it.
- The captain's orders to the crew were always clear and terse, ensuring efficient communication.
- The author's writing style was characterized by its terse descriptions and concise dialogue.
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