brusque

or brusk

[bruhsk; especially British broosk]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR brusque ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

abrupt in manner; blunt; rough: A brusque welcome greeted his unexpected return.

Origin of brusque

1595–1605; < Middle French < Italian brusco rough, tart, special use of brusco (noun) butcher's broom < Late Latin brūscum, for Latin rūscus, rūscum, perhaps conflated with Vulgar Latin *brūcus heather (see brier²)

Related formsbrusque·ly, adverbbrusque·ness, noun

Synonyms for brusque

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR brusque ON THESAURUS.COM

unceremonious, short, curt.

Synonym study

See blunt.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for brusquely

vigorously, rapidly, nimbly, promptly, quickly, brusquely, enthusiastically

Examples from the Web for brusquely

Contemporary Examples of brusquely

And so it was Sunday night that Cristiano Ronaldo, brusquely thwarted for much of the game, put the upstarts in their place.
Team USA 2, Portugal 2: Seconds Away From World Cup Glory
Tunku Varadarajan
June 23, 2014
Xabi Alonso, the Spanish midfielder who has had a tournament to forget (after only two games), was brusquely dispossessed.
Chile Ends Spain’s World Cup Reign
Tunku Varadarajan
June 18, 2014
I simply want to draw attention to some of the gaps, some of what may be missing, when we dismiss God too brusquely.
Alain de Botton on the Benefits of Religion Without God
The Daily Beast
March 10, 2012

Historical Examples of brusquely

Brusquely he turned his back, hurried away, and returned that evening to Beaumont.
The Dream
Emile Zola
"We'll suppose nothing of the kind," he interrupted, brusquely.
The Little Colonel
Annie Fellows Johnston
"That will show you how to get there," he said as he rose, brusquely.
The Vagrant Duke
George Gibbs
“I knew I was right,” exclaimed Baggs, nodding 171 rapidly and brusquely.
The Mountain Divide
Frank H. Spearman
It is the same who addresses the Empress Eugnie so brusquely.
Charles Lever, His Life in His Letters, Vol. II (of II)
Edmund Downey

British Dictionary definitions for brusquely

brusque

adjective

blunt or curt in manner or speech

Derived Formsbrusquely, adverbbrusqueness or rare brusquerie (ˈbruːskərɪ), noun

Word Origin for brusque

C17: from French, from Italian brusco sour, rough, from Medieval Latin bruscus butcher's broom

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for brusquely

brusque

adj.

1650s, from French brusque "lively, fierce," from Italian adjective brusco "sharp, tart, rough," perhaps from Vulgar Latin *bruscum "butcher's broom plant."