terse

Meaning

1. Of speech or style: brief, concise, to the point.
2. Of manner or speech: abruptly or brusquely short; curt.
3. (obsolete) Burnished, polished; fine, smooth; neat, spruce.

Synonyms

concise

succinct

laconic

brief

curt

crisp

pithy

compendious

sententious

summary

tight

compact

short

simple

lucid

luculent

perspicuous

pointed

seared

sere

small-scale

spare

telegraphic

thrifty

tightlipped

trenchant

unambiguous

unequivocal

univocal

well-trained

simple and clear

droughty

short and sweet

koanlike

arid

nonverbose

articulate

austere

brief and comprehensive

clear

condensed

dry

elliptical

exact

explicit

frugal

lapidary

letter

limited

Pronounced as (IPA)

/tɜːs/

Etymology

From Latin tersus (“clean, cleansed, rubbed or wiped off; neat, spruce; terse”), perfect passive participle of Latin tergeō, tergō (“to clean, cleanse, rub, wipe, wipe off”).