Terse

turs

/tɜːrs/

Adjective

Meaning

  • Terse describes language that is short and straight to the point.
  • It often suggests that the tone may be unfriendly, abrupt, or lacking detail.

Examples

  • Her reply was so terse that he felt she was annoyed.
  • The instructions were terse, leaving many confused.
  • He gave a terse nod before walking away.
  • The teacher’s terse comment showed dissatisfaction.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms Antonyms
Brief Concise Curt Succinct Short Abrupt Blunt Brusque Laconic Wordy Verbose Lengthy Elaborate Talkative Expansive

Word Forms

  • Terseness (noun) – the quality of being terse
  • Tersely (adverb) – in a brief and direct manner

Origin / Etymology

From Latin tersus, meaning “clean or polished,” from tergere — “to wipe or polish.” The meaning evolved to describe language stripped of unnecessary words.

Grammar Information

  • Typically used before a noun (e.g., terse remark, terse reply).
  • Often conveys a negative, unfriendly, or abrupt tone based on context.

Translations

  • Hindi: संक्षिप्त (Sankshipt)
  • Spanish: conciso / lacónico
  • French: concis / laconique
  • German: knapp / kurz
  • Arabic: مقتضب (Mughtadab)
  • Chinese (Mandarin): 简洁的 (Jiǎnjié de)
  • Japanese: 簡潔な (Kanketsu na)

Idioms & Phrases

  • Terse reply
  • Terse remark
  • Terse communication

Related Words

  • Concise
  • Compact
  • Clipped
  • Economical
  • Pithy
  • Sparing
  • Taciturn