monosyllabic

mono·syl·lab·ic

adj \ˌmä-nə-sə-ˈla-bik\

Definition of MONOSYLLABIC

1

: consisting of one syllable or of monosyllables

2

: using or speaking only monosyllables

3

: conspicuously brief in answering or commenting : terse

— mono·syl·lab·i·cal·ly \-bi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

— mono·syl·la·bic·i·ty \-ˌsi-lə-ˈbi-sə-tē\ noun

Examples of MONOSYLLABIC

1. The movie star was monosyllabic with newspaper reporters.
2. <the sullen teenager would give only a monosyllabic response to even the friendliest question>

Origin of MONOSYLLABIC

probably from French monosyllabique, from monosyllabe

First Known Use: 1766

Related to MONOSYLLABIC

Synonyms: aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compact, compendious, crisp, curt, elliptical (or elliptic), epigrammatic, laconic, concise, pithy, sententious, succinct, summary, telegraphic, terse, thumbnail

Antonyms: circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy

Related Words: abrupt, blunt, brusque (also brusk), short, snippety, snippy; abbreviated, abridged, condensed, curtailed, shortened; meaty, substantial; meaningful, significant; well-turned

Near Antonyms: pleonastic, redundant, repetitious, tautological, tautologous; enlarged, expanded, supplemented; embellished, embroidered, exaggerated, inflated

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Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms

ablaut, allusion, anacoluthon, diacritic, gerund, idiom, infinitive, metaphor, semiotics, simile