curt
1 Americanadjective
-
rudely brief in speech or abrupt in manner.
-
brief; concise; terse; laconic.
-
short; shortened.
- Synonyms:
- abbreviated
noun
adjective
-
rudely blunt and brief; abrupt
a curt reply
-
short or concise
Related Words
See blunt.
Other Word Forms
- curtly adverb
- curtness noun
Etymology
Origin of curt
First recorded in 1620–30, curt is from the Latin word curtus “shortened, short, cut short”
Explanation
I’m sorry to be curt, but let's get right to the point. You should use the adjective curt to describe a way of speaking that’s brief and blunt. Curt often just means "terse." In fact it comes from the Latin word curtus, which means “cut short, abridged.” But sometimes it has the added sense of being rudely short, like when you’re irritated that someone’s asking a foolish question so you give a brusque, curt response.
Vocabulary lists containing curt
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
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The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 7
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List 8
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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.
A few unnecessarily curt speech interruptions threatened the calm, but mainly, this was a smoothly run machine of a show, devoid of mishaps.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
Chalamet’s words were curt, but his opinion was only further muddled by the clip being spread out of context.
From Salon • Mar. 11, 2026
Until, that is, I noticed myself crossing some invisible line: I wasn’t just focused; I was curt.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025
The pair had a curt handshake after Townsend clinched victory before Latvian Ostapenko made a comment at the net.
From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025
The rest of the day is a blur of failed combat battles, curt conversations, and narrow escapes from Helene.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
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.
