brusque

play

adjective \ˈbrəsk\

variants: or less commonly

brusk

Definition of brusque

1 : markedly short and abrupt a brusque reply
2 : blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness was brusque with the customers

brusquely

adverb

brusqueness

noun

See brusque defined for English-language learners

See brusque defined for kids

brusque was our Word of the Day on 08/02/2015. Hear the podcast!

Examples of brusque in a Sentence

She asked for a cup of coffee and received a brusque reply: “We don't have any.”
The teacher was brusque and impatient.

Recent Examples of brusque from the Web

Diamond, a 64-year-old jurist appointed to the federal bench in 2004 by former President George W. Bush, is known at the federal courthouse for his brusque humor, blunt honesty, and impatience with unnecessary delay.

— jeremy roebuck, Philly.com, "From an early, unexpected prison stay, Seth Williams awaits his fate," 30 June 2017
With his brusque agenda of racially tinged nationalism, President Trump last November pushed that support to new heights.

— ronald brownstein, The Atlantic, "Why the GOP's Plan for Health Care Hit a Wall," 28 June 2017
Then were the internal politics at Yahoo, where former executives criticized Mayer's management style as brusque and inflexible.

— jon swartz, USA TODAY, "The legacy of Marissa Mayer," 13 June 2017
But no one is harder to read than Rachel, whose first grateful kiss to Philip is followed by a brusque shove.

— sheri linden, The Hollywood Reporter, "'My Cousin Rachel': Film Review," 2 June 2017
In Europe, a top German politician slammed Trump’s decision, mocking him for his brusque brush-aside of a Balkan leader last week at a NATO meeting in Brussels.

— philip rucker, Washington Post, "Trump announces U.S. will exit Paris climate deal, sparking criticism at home and abroad," 1 June 2017
The speech to NATO was memorable, as was his brusque, push-aside of the leader of Montenegro to make his way to the front of a pack of world leaders.

— kate bennett, CNN, "What we learned about Melania Trump from her first international trip," 26 May 2017
Ms. Ryan, who encountered brusque treatment herself at a White House press briefing, said in an interview.

— michael m. grynbaum, New York Times, "A Journalist Was Body Slammed, but Some Conservatives Want the News Media to Apologize," 25 May 2017
Nonsense Chicken, on the main strip of the humming Itaewon neighborhood, was a bare and empty white room occupied by a short, sun-baked Korean man with a boxy torso, liver spots on his forehead, and a brusque manner.

— wesley yang, Bon Appetit, "A Fried Chicken Bender in South Korea," 9 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brusque.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

We borrowed "brusque" from French in the 1600s. The French, in turn, had borrowed it from Italian, where it was spelled "brusco" and meant "tart." And the Italian term came from "bruscus," the Medieval Latin name for butcher's-broom, a shrub whose bristly leaf-like twigs have long been used for making brooms. English speakers initially used "brusque" to refer to a tartness in wine, but the word soon came to denote a harsh and stiff manner - which is just what you might expect of a word bristling with associations to stiff, scratchy brooms.

Origin and Etymology of brusque

French brusque, from Italian brusco, from Medieval Latin bruscus butcher's-broom (plant with bristly twigs)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1639

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of brusque

bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, crusty, gruff mean abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner. bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality. a bluff manner blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings. a blunt appraisal brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness. a brusque response curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness. a curt command crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness. a crusty exterior gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness. puts on a gruff pose