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
Bautista’s straight-laced, laconic James is a family man first seen underwater training Navy SEALs how to hold their breath.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Kajumba was a laconic man, rail‑thin, with the type of largish head that suggested nature had intended him for corpulence, even as circumstance had conspired to keep him slender.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Dialogue tended to be sparse in those movies, too, because people mistrusted language then, and Reichardt also likes her speeches laconic.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
Ray is dominant, laconic and emotionally sealed off, yet the performance hinges on suggestion rather than declaration — containing vulnerability without ever surrendering control.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laconic
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Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Kajumba was a laconic man, rail‑thin, with the type of largish head that suggested nature had intended him for corpulence, even as circumstance had conspired to keep him slender.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
Dialogue tended to be sparse in those movies, too, because people mistrusted language then, and Reichardt also likes her speeches laconic.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
Ray is dominant, laconic and emotionally sealed off, yet the performance hinges on suggestion rather than declaration — containing vulnerability without ever surrendering control.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for laconic
Cite this Entry
“Laconic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/laconic. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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