monosyllabic

play

adjective mono·syl·lab·ic \ 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

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monosyllabically

play \-bi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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monosyllabicity

play \-ˌsi-lə-ˈbi-sə-tē\ noun

See monosyllabic defined for English-language learners

Examples of monosyllabic in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of monosyllabic from the Web

Now Arnold wanders the house in a jolly monosyllabic stupor, barely able to negotiate a doorknob.

— tony adler, Chicago Reader, "Hir is Steppenwolf’s latest, funniest victim-impact statement," 12 July 2017
There is none of the pouty celebrity I-would-rather-be-doing-anything-other-than-this monosyllabic slouch, nor is every answer punctuated with Sorry-I-have-to-take-this-call.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "Cover Story: Serena Williams’s Love Match," 27 June 2017
In 2014, Marvel turned Guardians of the Galaxy, an obscure comic featuring aliens, a talking raccoon and a monosyllabic tree, into a massive hit.

— eliana dockterman, Time, "How the Venom Spinoff Could Change the Spider-Man Universe," 21 June 2017
In addition to the new ride, Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man, Captain America, and the monosyllabic Groot will be greeting guests at Disney California Adventure.

— arthur levine, USA TODAY, "Disney parks begin a blockbuster summer," 26 May 2017
The past 12 months have been a rollicking time for strange, monosyllabic corporate media rebrandings.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Yahoo and AOL Are Joining Forces—and Getting a Creepy New Name," 3 Apr. 2017
On the other side of the tent, though, Bernhard Hauser, 40, of Burghausen, was hunched over, eyes peeking out from a stack of blankets, offering monosyllabic utterances through clattering teeth as three paramedics kept close watch.

— andrew keh, New York Times, "For Swimmers With Ice Water in Their Veins, an Event to Match," 26 Dec. 2016

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