tersely
Americanadverb
-
in an effectively concise manner; succinctly.
This phenomenally prolific creator of tersely plotted psychological thrillers deserves to be on your bookshelves.
The ordinance fulfills the tersely and clearly worded language of the city's comprehensive plan.
-
in an abruptly concise manner; brusquely.
“Maybe that's my business,” replied the girl tersely as she turned away.
Other Word Forms
- untersely adverb
Etymology
Origin of tersely
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 manager insults Kier in kind, who tersely thanks him for the "feedback," referring to him as "Seth" before shutting down.
From Salon
When asked if he still had confidence in his Senate counterpart, he tersely replied: "Next question."
From BBC
He has replied, tersely, that he’s received their messages.
From Los Angeles Times
He responded tersely to a defendant’s attorney who argued that the current system had been in place for 100 years.
From Seattle Times
“These journalists were accomplices in crimes against humanity,” the public diplomacy department of the prime minister’s office said in a tersely worded statement.
From New York Times
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.