GDict

terse

tә:s5 senses · 59 ms
Level C1GREIELTS
local copy0 msLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0Wiktionary contributors
adj/tɜːs//təːs//tɛɾs/
  1. 1

    Of speech or style: brief, concise, to the point.broadly

    • In eight terse lines has Phædrus told / (So frugal were the Bards of old) / A Tale of Goats; and clos'd with grace / Plan, Moral, all, in that ſhort space.
    • Your last series contains some of the neatest, tersest, and most unpretendingly original criticism, I have lately met with.
  2. 2

    Of manner or speech: abruptly or brusquely short; curt.broadly

    • 'Laura!' The voice halting her was terse. Brusque. She turned. [...] 'Before I go,' he said, and his voice was terse, tighter than ever. 'I want to ensure you understand something.'
    • My voice was terser than I intended, but what the hell. The night was turning out to be interesting in some ways and extremely frustrating in others.
  3. 3

    Burnished, polished; fine, smooth; neat, spruce.obsolete

    • By Phœbus, here's a moſt neate fine ſtreete; is't not? I proteſt to thee, I am enamord of this ſtreete now, more then of halfe the ſtreetes of Rome, againe; tis ſo polite, and terſe; [...]

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