terse
- Sparing in the use of words; brief and to the point, sometimes to the point of seeming abrupt or unfriendly.
In a sentence
- His terse reply—'No.'—left no room for further discussion.
- The editor returned the manuscript with a terse note: 'Cut it in half.'
Usage note. Terse and 'concise' both describe brevity, but concise is generally positive (efficient and clear), while terse can suggest a brusqueness that borders on rudeness.
Where it comes from
English terse · entered English early 17th c.
From Latin 'tersus', past participle of 'tergere' (to wipe, to polish, to clean), suggesting something smoothed or stripped down. It entered English in the early 17th century, originally with a positive sense of polished or refined expression, and later developed the nuance of curtness.