monosyllabic

[mon-uh-si-lab-ik]

adjective

1. having only one syllable, as the word no.

2. having a vocabulary composed primarily of monosyllables or short, simple words.

3. very brief; terse or blunt.

   a monosyllabic reply.

monosyllabic

/ ˌmɒnəsɪˈlæbɪk /

adjective

1. (of a word) containing only one syllable

2. characterized by monosyllables; curt

   a monosyllabic answer

Other Word Forms

• monosyllabically adverb
• monosyllabicity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of monosyllabic¹

1815–25; < Medieval Latin monosyllabicus, equivalent to Late Latin monosyllab ( on ) monosyllable (< Greek monosýllabon, noun use of neuter of monosýllabos monosyllabic) + -icus -ic

Example Sentences

Few residents were prepared to give anything more than monosyllabic answers about life under the gangs, and Roxana did not want to give her last name or have her photo taken.

From BBC

"I think I got very solitary, very monosyllabic during that time. I won't sugar coat it - I was in a very, very bad place at that time."

From BBC

Ice Spice has a way with a hilarious, monosyllabic insult hurled like a blunt instrument.

From New York Times

Stroll then used an expletive in a monosyllabic TV interview afterwards, in which he said just seven words in response to three questions.

From BBC

Here, with his hand gestures and the frequent monosyllabic exclamations of exasperation, the actor’s Salvo sometimes resembles a kinder, gentler version of his Jake LaMotta in “Raging Bull.”

From New York Times