Definitions

terse

[turs] / tɜrs /

ADJECTIVE

brief, short

Synonyms

STRONGEST

brusque concise cryptic curt elliptical incisive laconic pithy precise succinct trenchant

WEAK

abrupt aphoristic boiled down breviloquent clear-cut clipped close compact compendiary compendious condensed crisp cut to the bone epigrammatic exact gnomic in a nutshell lean neat pointed sententious short and sweet snappy summary taut to the point

Antonyms

STRONGEST

gentle kind lengthy long-winded nice polite verbose wordy

WEAK

prolix

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The White House issued a terse statement, calling the purported MOU draft a "complete fabrication".

From BBC • May 28, 2026

But Mr. Hunter’s economy of means, which extends to often terse or quiet dialogue undergirded by melancholy subtext, only enhances the tenderness and humanity of his writing.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Designer Rob Janoff said that Apple cofounder Steve Jobs gave him one terse instruction when he commissioned a new logo in January 1977: "don't make it cute".

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Loznitsa includes multiple terse scenes of Kornev walking up endless stairs or waiting for a perturbed guard to unlock a door that will lead him to another door that also requires a key.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

His voice was suddenly clipped, terse, as if what he was about to say made him angry.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Vocabulary lists containing terse

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