as in concise
marked by the use of few words to convey much information or meaning
the sullen teenager would give only a monosyllabic response to even the friendliest question
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of monosyllabic
Daboll, who typically mutters his way through monosyllabic answers after games, raved about the character and work ethic of his team Sunday.
—
Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
Eva, a monosyllabic Finn about my age who dressed in head-to-toe black, seemed uninterested in most of what was happening around her, including me.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
Verstappen was subsequently punished for using the F-word to describe Red Bull’s performances and reacted to his ban by delivering monosyllabic answers during FIA press conferences over the weekend.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
First appearing in 1950, in the original run of Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip, Snoopy is the relaxed, lovable, adventurous, and monosyllabic dog of Sally and Charlie Brown.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for monosyllabic
Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
Eva, a monosyllabic Finn about my age who dressed in head-to-toe black, seemed uninterested in most of what was happening around her, including me.
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
Verstappen was subsequently punished for using the F-word to describe Red Bull’s performances and reacted to his ban by delivering monosyllabic answers during FIA press conferences over the weekend.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
First appearing in 1950, in the original run of Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip, Snoopy is the relaxed, lovable, adventurous, and monosyllabic dog of Sally and Charlie Brown.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 18 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for monosyllabic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monosyllabic
Adjective
-
The company is also upgrading a proofreading option for checking grammar and making messages more concise.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Just across the street, Miya is a quirky, two-room Thai charmer with a relatively concise menu of curries, noodles, soups, salads and vegetables.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The incident caused brief traffic delays and drew a crowd of onlookers, but mall officials said other stores resumed normal operations after emergency crews gave the all-clear.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
-
In April, Blue Origin faced public backlash after flying an all-female celebrity crew — including Lauren Sánchez, Katy Perry, and Gayle King — on a brief, 11-minute trip to the edge of space.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Such rights obviously do not include summary execution at sea.—
Mary Ellen O'Connell,
The Conversation,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Not surprisingly, given the risk of summary execution, many had initial doubts.—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Monosyllabic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monosyllabic. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
