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
The film’s honesty, whether loquacious or laconic, sears even more in the absence of a score.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2025
Serving as an introduction to an engaging new artistic voice, the film captures a certain laconic, free-floating malaise and anxiety that are indicative of an emergent generational sensibility.
—Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
As the test pilots who became the faces of the Space Race, Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, and Scott Glenn are perfectly laconic heroes, and the flying scenes are out of this world.
—Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
Props also to Zach Braff as Izzy, who gets caught up in the fraud scheme and pays a heavy price, as well as Scott Glenn as Yancy's father, dishing laconic wisdom while fishing on a dock to anyone who cares to listen.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for laconic
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Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2025
Serving as an introduction to an engaging new artistic voice, the film captures a certain laconic, free-floating malaise and anxiety that are indicative of an emergent generational sensibility.
—Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025
As the test pilots who became the faces of the Space Race, Sam Shepard, Ed Harris, and Scott Glenn are perfectly laconic heroes, and the flying scenes are out of this world.
—Kevin Lincoln, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2025
Props also to Zach Braff as Izzy, who gets caught up in the fraud scheme and pays a heavy price, as well as Scott Glenn as Yancy's father, dishing laconic wisdom while fishing on a dock to anyone who cares to listen.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for laconic
Cite this Entry
“Laconic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laconic. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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