terse
/tɜːrs/adjective★Intermediate— brief and to the point
formalinformal
Using few words; concise and to the point
She sent a terse reply to his long email.
She responded with a short and direct message.
The instructions were terse, leaving little room for interpretation.
The directions were brief and left no ambiguity.
💡
Often used to describe writing or speech that is clear but lacks detail.
Collocations
terse replya short and direct responseterse instructionsbrief and clear directions
💡Pro Tip
Tone Awareness
Use terse language in professional or technical contexts, but avoid it in casual or sensitive conversations to prevent misunderstandings.
📖Word Origin
From Latin 'tersus', meaning 'polished' or 'clean', from 'tergere' meaning 'to wipe' or 'to clean'.
📝Usage Notes
Terse communication is often seen as efficient but can come across as abrupt or impolite if overused.
Word Breakdown
terse
polished or clean
rootEnglish Dictionary