curtly

[kurt-lee]

adverb

1. so briefly or stiffly as to seem rude or snippy; tersely: Saying nothing, she nodded curtly at me and pointed to one of the two chairs.

   The officer saw my foreign passport and curtly ordered me to step aside.

   Saying nothing, she nodded curtly at me and pointed to one of the two chairs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of curtly¹

curt ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

“When there is a bookstore, it’s next door,” she answered curtly, and disappeared into the back.

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“Still, I am sure a barn would do in a pinch,” Penelope replied curtly.

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When she tries to compliment his picturesque farmland, he curtly responds, “It’s nothing like the soil I knew when I was young.”

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To which Riley curtly responded, “I don’t really care what he says.”

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So they were surprised when the staff curtly shot down their request without any explanation.

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Related Words

• bluntly 
• crudely 
• harshly www.thesaurus.com