tersely

With few words

Tersely means in a brief, curt manner—using few words, sometimes to the point of seeming abrupt or unfriendly.

She tersely refused to comment.

The adverb often suggests impatience or unwillingness to elaborate: "No," he replied tersely, and hung up the phone.

rude

curt

Abruptly rude in speech

brusqueAbrupt and dismissive
gruffHarsh in manner
snappyQuick and clever

sharp · abrupt · snappish · churlish · dismissive · offhand · ungracious · impolite · unceremonious · tactless

blunt

curt

Abruptly rude in speech

brusqueAbrupt and dismissive
directUndeviating or to guide
forthrightDirectly honest in manner

plain-spoken · unvarnished · straightforward · candid · frank · outspoken · unembellished · unadorned · pointed · matter-of-fact

concise

succinct

Expressed with minimal words

laconicBrief in expression
pithyConcise and forceful
compactTightly packed together

brief · epigrammatic · aphoristic · elliptical · telegraphic · compendious · synoptic · condensed · economical · tight

Categories

adverbsquickly, slowly, very, really, now
harshlyharshly, sharply, curtly, bluntly, rudely
in summaryin short, in brief, in sum, briefly, succinctly

Opposites

verbal length/brevity

terselyverbosely

With too many words

long-windedly · wordily · lengthily · prolixly · ramblingly

manner/tone

terselycourteously

With good manners

graciously · warmly · politely · cordially · effusively

Family

terse, terseness, tersest

Familiarity: Top 200,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Everyday, not technical · Rated G