brusquely
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of brusquely
Explanation
When something is done brusquely it is done in a flat out, no-nonsense or crude manner. If you try to talk a teacher into changing your grade from a “C” to an “A,” your request will probably be dismissed brusquely. Brusquely often signifies rudeness; it implies that the action is a little too blunt, direct, or curt. This adverb is basically the opposite of tactfully or gently. A political candidate might brusquely reject the position of his or her opponent, or a baseball coach might brusquely challenge an umpire’s call.
Vocabulary lists containing brusquely
Of Mice and Men
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"Of Mice and Men"
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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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.
The doctor brusquely informed Petrou that she’d be totally blind by the time she was 25.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026
The first time it happened, the day care received an anonymous call from a woman brusquely asking them to open the door.
From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026
She brusquely replied that a particular leopard routinely came by a path in the hills, passed her house and went “that way.”
From Scientific American • Apr. 22, 2023
Mann might have responded brusquely to Westbrook’s arrival as an instant starter in February.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2023
Aurelia was asked a few essential questions, was briefly soothed and handed over to her nurse, who was brusquely summoned from her peaceful retreat.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
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.
