laconic

American  

[luh-kon-ik] / ləˈkɒn ɪk /

adjective

1. using few words; expressing much in few words; concise.

   a laconic reply.

   Synonyms:

   succinct, terse, pithy, brief

   Antonyms:

   voluble

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laconic British  

/ ləˈkɒnɪk /

adjective

1. (of a person's speech) using few words; terse

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Other Word Forms

• laconically adverb
• unlaconic adjective

Etymology

Origin of laconic

1580–90; < Latin Lacōnicus < Greek Lakōnikós Laconian, equivalent to Lákōn a Laconian + -ikos -ic

Explanation

Laconic is an adjective that describes a style of speaking or writing that uses only a few words, often to express complex thoughts and ideas. A more laconic way to write that last sentence might be this: laconic means brief. There’s a friend of yours who doesn’t talk very much, and when he does, he says maybe three words and then becomes quiet again. You could describe that friend as laconic. The word comes from Laconia, a region in ancient Greece where the local Spartan rulers gave very short speeches. Being laconic can be bad when it sounds rude to be so brief, but it can be good if you’re in a rush to get somewhere.

Example Sentences

Ms. Phillips’s father was a World War II veteran and a failed businessman, the offspring of a once-proud Confederate family; he bore his humiliations with laconic stoicism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

But perhaps the laconic statement from Marie Sherlock of the center-left Labour Party captured the spirit of this ugly encounter in a more realistic mode.

From Salon • Mar. 18, 2026

Mr. Mamdani would present an enticing target to a political opponent of laconic self-discipline and charitable forbearance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025

Van Loon, added: "So now and then he could come across as laconic, a bit too easy going. Maybe at times some youth managers even thought of him as lazy."

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025

What I remember are the long avenues in the frost, the farms and houses braced against the winter, the flat, laconic Maine speech in crossroads stores where I stopped to buy supplies.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• brusque
• pithy
• terse