curt
1 Americanadjective
-
rudely brief in speech or abrupt in manner.
-
brief; concise; terse; laconic.
-
short; shortened.
- Synonyms:
- abbreviated
noun
adjective
-
rudely blunt and brief; abrupt
a curt reply
-
short or concise
Related Words
See blunt.
Other Word Forms
- curtly adverb
- curtness noun
Etymology
Origin of curt
First recorded in 1620–30, curt is from the Latin word curtus “shortened, short, cut short”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Until, that is, I noticed myself crossing some invisible line: I wasn’t just focused; I was curt.
The rhythm section remained taut and rigid—live musicians mimicking the curt slap of hip-hop.
The pair had a curt handshake after Townsend clinched victory before Latvian Ostapenko made a comment at the net.
From BBC
Yet he did, ending his meeting with the Russian leader with curt remarks, taking no questions from the press and offering no sense of a breakthrough toward peace in Ukraine.
From Los Angeles Times
Williams had often been curt and closed when speaking to the media, but spoke warmly and openly in her first pre-tournament news conference.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
