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View synonyms for terse

terse

[ turs ]

adjective

, ters·er, ters·est.
  1. neatly or effectively concise; brief and pithy, as language.

    Synonyms: compendious, epigrammatic, brief, compact, succinct

  2. abruptly concise; curt; brusque.


terse

/ tɜːs /

adjective

  1. neatly brief and concise
  2. curt; abrupt


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Derived Forms

  • ˈterseness, noun
  • ˈtersely, adverb

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Other Words From

  • terse·ly adverb
  • terse·ness noun
  • un·terse adjective
  • un·terse·ness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of terse1

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin tersus, past participle of tergēre “to rub off, wipe off, clean, polish”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of terse1

C17: from Latin tersus precise, from tergēre to polish

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Synonym Study

See concise.

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Example Sentences

His exchanges with Rob are terse to the point of being hostile.

From Time

The language in the email is terse, but it appears to say that the attacks target devices that are exposed to the Internet.

“In the same way Steve Jobs could be cutthroat and terse and explosive, Elon is the same way,” said the former employee, who worked at the companies under both men.

In a terse new letter that’s been leaked to the press, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to work toward a power-sharing deal between his democratically elected government and the Taliban.

From Ozy

Much terser is Clara Cornelius’s handsome setting of “Measure Twice, Cut Once,” worthy advice for craftspeople of all sorts.

But Brinsley is unconvinced and the two trade terse responses.

The comparison prompted Kelly to release the terse statement: “Martha McSally is no Gabby Giffords.”

It is a mighty tough slog, I will have to give them that, written in terse and exclusive science-ese.

She had earlier offered a terse description of how her asthmatic brother had come to die.

My response to poisonous emails is a terse “thank you for contacting me” and nothing more.

A dozen of these terse but meaningless sayings now dance before our recollection, for who has not heard them, even to loathing?

"Hit's the pore house fer a cow hand," was his terse aphorism on the subject, and Landy had never seen a "fitten" poor house.

Ripley briefed the general situation as it stood on the night of the engine theft in a few terse sentences.

Bill Hayes gave a terse account of his stewardship during Hollister's absence.

Bill, to use a terse but slangy term, proceeded to go up in the air.

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Tersanctustersely