terse.

Using very few words, sometimes with an abrupt or curt effect.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• a terse reply
• terse instructions

On the page

His terse reply left her unsure whether he was angry or simply tired.

Terse instructions covered the repair but not the reason it mattered.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary. Forms: Comparative more terse; superlative most terse where gradation is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.