laconic
adjective
la·con·ic
lə-ˈkä-nik 
: using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious
Did you know?
We’ll keep it brief. Laconia was an ancient country in southern Greece. Its capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. Laconic comes to us by way of Latin from Greek Lakōnikos, meaning “native of Laconia.” In current use, laconic means “terse” or “concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious,” and thus recalls the Spartans’ taciturnity.
Examples of laconic in a Sentence
We would rather have a smiling, shape-shifting Democrat we don't trust than a frowning, laconic Republican we trust more.
—
Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 10 Oct. 1996
The closest anyone comes to announcing his destination is a laconic "Guess I'll head on in."
—Richard Rhodes, The Inland Ground, 1991
… towards the father—laconic, authoritarian, remote, an immigrant who'd trained in Galicia to be a rabbi but worked in America in a hat factory—their feelings were more confused.
—Philip Roth, Granta 24, Summer 1988
He had a reputation for being laconic.
the sportscaster's color commentary tends to be laconic but very much to the point
Maureen Dowd, New York Times, 10 Oct. 1996
The closest anyone comes to announcing his destination is a laconic "Guess I'll head on in."
—Richard Rhodes, The Inland Ground, 1991
… towards the father—laconic, authoritarian, remote, an immigrant who'd trained in Galicia to be a rabbi but worked in America in a hat factory—their feelings were more confused.
—Philip Roth, Granta 24, Summer 1988
He had a reputation for being laconic.
the sportscaster's color commentary tends to be laconic but very much to the point
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Lombardi, founder of Matador Records, recalls first pitching Perry’s idea to Stephen Malkmus, the band’s notoriously laconic chief songwriter, singer, guitarist and nominal leader.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
The story follows a laconic teen named Cécile, here played by Lily McInerny, who is summering with her widowed father, Raymond (Claes Bang), and his paramour-du-jour Elsa (Nailia Harzoune).
—Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 1 May 2025
More seriously, Baffert noted that he’d been pleasantly surprised by the increasing maturity Rodriguez had exhibited in training recently, which, in Baffert-parlance, is the trademark laconic New-Mexico-cowboy sort of praise that handicappers would do well to take seriously on Saturday.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
His laconic, weary speech contrasts with the more expansive, and at times mannered, language of the voice on the tapes.
—Houman Barekat, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laconic
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Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
The story follows a laconic teen named Cécile, here played by Lily McInerny, who is summering with her widowed father, Raymond (Claes Bang), and his paramour-du-jour Elsa (Nailia Harzoune).
—Jessie Heyman, Vogue, 1 May 2025
More seriously, Baffert noted that he’d been pleasantly surprised by the increasing maturity Rodriguez had exhibited in training recently, which, in Baffert-parlance, is the trademark laconic New-Mexico-cowboy sort of praise that handicappers would do well to take seriously on Saturday.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
His laconic, weary speech contrasts with the more expansive, and at times mannered, language of the voice on the tapes.
—Houman Barekat, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for laconic
Cite this Entry
“Laconic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laconic. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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