Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

curt

adjective

Synonyms and Antonyms of curt

1 being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner

  • she was offended by the curt reply to her well-meaning question
Synonyms of curt

abrupt, bluff, blunt, brusque (also brusk), crusty, downright, short, short-spoken, snippy, unceremonious
Words Related to curt

gruff, rough, snappish

candid, direct, forthright, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, open, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, point-blank, straightforward, straight-out

artless, discourteous, disrespectful, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, insensitive, rude, tactless, undiplomatic

brief, closemouthed, laconic, reserved, reticent, terse, tight-lipped

earnest, honest, sincere

coarse, crass, crude, low, uncouth, vulgar
Near Antonyms of curt

civil, considerate, courteous, diplomatic, gracious, polite, politic, smooth, suave, tactful

loquacious, talkative, voluble

long-winded, prolix, verbose

courtly, cultivated, gallant, genteel, polished, refined
Antonyms of curt

circuitous, mealymouthed

2 marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning

  • on a daily basis she e-mailed to her commanders curt reports on the situation
Synonyms of curt

aphoristic, apothegmatic, brief, capsule, compact, compendious, concise, crisp, elliptical (or elliptic), epigrammatic, laconic, monosyllabic, pithy, sententious, succinct, summary, telegraphic, terse, thumbnail
Words Related to curt

abrupt, blunt, brusque (also brusk), short, snippety, snippy

abbreviated, abridged, condensed, curtailed, shortened

meaty, substantial

meaningful, significant

well-turned
Near Antonyms of curt

pleonastic, redundant, repetitious, tautological, tautologous

enlarged, expanded, supplemented

embellished, embroidered, exaggerated, inflated
Antonyms of curt

circuitous, circumlocutory, diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy

Synonym Discussion of curt

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

Learn More about curt

  1. See words that rhyme with curt Dictionary: Definition of curt Spanish Central: Translation of curt Nglish: Translation of curt for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of curt for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up curt? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games