1
as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
the sportscaster's color commentary tends to be laconic but very much to the point
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in silent
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
laconic by nature, he sat back and enjoyed hearing stories from the more loquacious dinner guests
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of laconic
Even a lot of contemporary fiction, where the scenario of characters agonizing over whether to have children has become quite common, defaults to a laconic style (very short paragraphs separated by empty space, for example) that channels the familiar wariness about lushness.
—
Aaron Matz, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Here is an echoey and relatively quiet limestone room full of people — Mondragon’s deep laconic monotone would attract attention in a second.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
The sagas of Icelanders—plotty, laconic, often heart-rending—constitute one of the oldest literatures in any language still commonly spoken.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 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
See All Example Sentences for laconic
Aaron Matz, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Here is an echoey and relatively quiet limestone room full of people — Mondragon’s deep laconic monotone would attract attention in a second.
—Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
The sagas of Icelanders—plotty, laconic, often heart-rending—constitute one of the oldest literatures in any language still commonly spoken.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 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
See All Example Sentences for laconic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for laconic
Adjective
-
The vision is concise and confident for a restaurant that opened in April.—
Jessi Roti,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 June 2026
-
That’s some clear, concise handiwork for an 11-year-old.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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For the next hour, pages turned until silent reading time made way for more conversation.—
Sneha Dhandapani,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
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Many people wait until ideas feel perfectly polished before contributing, which often leads them to remain silent too long.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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After a brief trip to the locker room, Brunson quickly returned to the bench and eventually re-entered the game.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
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The fact that no player had posted a tribute to the outgoing coach had raised some eyebrows until Van Dijk posted his own brief missive on social media.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
But the truly dangerous frontier is the American high school, where girls are willing to play dumb and give up their secrets, friends, privacy and virginity to fit in and find love.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 June 2026
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There were those dumb America's Care Packages that bestowed special powers to popular players to give them unfair advantages.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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The judge considered hundreds of pages of evidence and testimony from San Diego officials, homeowners and their lawyers and determined that the city had not met the burden for what is called summary adjudication in any of the five causes of actions.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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Such rights obviously do not include summary execution at sea.—
Mary Ellen O'Connell,
The Conversation,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Liam is slightly more reserved and is the lethal, heavy finisher.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
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Fetterman's criticism of Platner marks a break from other Senate Democrats, who have been more reserved on the issue.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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When a court issues a domestic violence protective order, federal law prohibits the restrained person from possessing a gun.—
Sativa Banks,
The Conversation,
4 June 2026
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Though America’s founders, of course, did not always live up to these ideals themselves, this early reform shows us that American justice was meant to be resolute, principled, and restrained.—
Ana Zamora,
Time,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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The New York Knicks’ president, a stout, taciturn man, surly about the mouth, who spurns engagement with the media but whose competence no contemporary Knicks follower can gainsay, stands in a crowd, surrounded by cheering fans.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
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The club took him in and allowed the shy, taciturn boy to develop into one of Italian football’s most celebrated leaders.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Laconic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/laconic. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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