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CARD 2 OF 4

terseness

noun

Reveal meaning and examples

Brevity of expression, sometimes to the point of abruptness.

The terseness of the reply left its tone open to interpretation.
Dictionary practice example.
When her housemates offered to help move a heavy desk, Elise began to evince relief by relaxing her shoulders and smiling. Earlier, she had been inarticulate about the problem, struggling to explain why the room arrangement bothered her. The terseness of her message, 'Desk needs moving,' had sounded abrupt without communicating the difficulty.
From Signals in Everyday Conversation.
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