Word
terse
US/ˈtɝs/
UK/tˈɜːs/
Definition
adj. using very few words to say something, often in a way that sounds cold or unfriendly.
adj. brief and to the point in speech or writing, often with an implication of abruptness or unfriendliness.
Examples
“She sends short, terse emails at work.”
“The manager gives a terse reply when the team asks for more time.”
“His terse statement to the press left reporters guessing about his true feelings on the scandal.”
Examples
simple
“She sends short, terse emails at work.”
contextual
“The manager gives a terse reply when the team asks for more time.”
complex
“His terse statement to the press left reporters guessing about his true feelings on the scandal.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “terse” in context.
Verb
01. keep terse
“Please keep your comments terse during the Q&A session.”
verb + adj
02. remain terse
“Despite repeated questions, the spokesman remained terse throughout.”
verb + adj
03. sound terse
“You sounded terse on the phone; is everything all right?”
verb + adj
04. terse in tone
“Her letter was terse in tone and offered no apology.”
adj + prep + noun
Adjective
05. brutally terse
“His brutally terse email ended the debate in just two lines.”
adv + adj
06. characteristically terse
“She gave a characteristically terse nod and left the room.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. terse email
“She sent a terse email asking staff to avoid further delays.”
adj + noun
08. terse reply
“I received a terse reply saying the matter was closed.”
adj + noun
09. terse response
“His terse response suggested he was annoyed by the question.”
adj + noun
10. in a terse tone
“He replied in a terse tone that he had no further comment.”
11. issue a terse statement
“The ministry issued a terse statement rejecting the allegations.”
12. keep one's reply terse
“She kept her reply terse to avoid revealing her frustration.”
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/terse