terse

adjective

ˈtərs How to pronounce terse (audio)
Definition of tersenext
Enter your own sentence containing terse , and get words to replace it.
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as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning could tell from his terse replies to my questions that he was in no mood to talk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective terse contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of terse are compendious, concise, laconic, pithy, succinct, and summary. While all these words mean "very brief in statement or expression," terse implies pointed conciseness.

a terse reply

When is compendious a more appropriate choice than terse?

While in some cases nearly identical to terse, compendious applies to what is at once full in scope and brief and concise in treatment.

a compendious dictionary

When could concise be used to replace terse?

The words concise and terse can be used in similar contexts, but concise suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elaborative.

a concise description

When can laconic be used instead of terse?

In some situations, the words laconic and terse are roughly equivalent. However, laconic implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious.

an aloof and laconic stranger

How is pithy related to other words for terse?

Pithy adds to succinct or terse the implication of richness of meaning or substance.

a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners

Where would succinct be a reasonable alternative to terse?

The words succinct and terse are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, succinct implies the greatest possible compression.

a succinct letter of resignation

When is it sensible to use summary instead of terse?

The meanings of summary and terse largely overlap; however, summary suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation.

a summary listing of the year's main events

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of terse The New York Times: The State Department terminated funding for polio, HIV, malaria and nutrition programs around the world, using terse emails to communicate the cutoff. — Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 28 Feb. 2025 Trump issued a terse statement and Zelenskyy left shortly after. — Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 28 Feb. 2025 Larson speaks in fragments once again to set up the bit’s final scene, moving past Mamet into something approaching the terse prose of Raymond Chandler. — John Roy, Vulture, 25 Feb. 2025 The British pop-rock outfit ELO appears on many crossword grids thanks to its terse, vowel-heavy acronym. — Lindsay Zoladz, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for terse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for terse
  1. concise
  2. brief
  3. summary
Adjective
  • This Side of the Island is a more concise and conceptual effort, compared to his last full-length, 2020’s The Loves of Your Life, which is a masterpiece of musical storytelling.
    — Frank DiGiacomo, Billboard, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Keeping prices down Bartell, who is the president of Bartell Hotels and the chairman of the San Diego Tourism Marketing District, attributes the extended success of Humphreys to a concise plan.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of concise
Adjective
  • As a result, his answers are brief and not all that stimulating.
    — Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • The brief hearing, which focused on thorny jurisdictional issues, drew hundreds of demonstrators to the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan to denounce the Saturday arrest of Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident who is married to an American citizen.
    — arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of brief
Adjective
  • Organized labor wanted to institute procedural reforms to ensure that officers were given opportunities to correct bad behavior before being let go—no more summary firings.
    — Marc J. Dunkelman, TIME, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Sure enough, the summary destruction of that lonely Russian tank became fodder for the Phoenix drone group’s social media team.
    — David Axe, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of summary

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Cite this Entry

“Terse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/terse. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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