tersely

IPA/ˈtɜːsli/
KK[tˈɚsli]IPA/ˈtɜːrsli/

tersely — adverb

1. said or written in very few words, often making the speaker or writer seem unwil

1.副詞B2
釋義

said or written in very few words, often making the speaker or writer seem unwilling to be friendly or polite

例句

Aaron told the waiter to bring the check, then added tersely: 'Keep the change.'

verb + tersely after a quoted statement

When reporters asked about the merger, the CEO tersely replied: 'No comment.'

tersely + verb in a typical public-response context

同義詞
  • curtly

    more negative than tersely; always implies rudeness or unfriendliness

  • abruptly

    focuses on suddenness rather than word count; suggests the speaker cut off a conversation

  • brusquely

    suggests bluntness and impatience; stronger sense of dismissal

  • concisely

    neutral or positive; means brief in a helpful way, without any rudeness

反義詞

文法句型

[verb] + tersely

tersely + [verb]

was + tersely + [past participle]

用法筆記

Most common with verbs of communication (said, replied, wrote, informed, added). A tersely worded statement can sound rude even when the speaker did not intend to be unfriendly — it depends on the listener's expectation of a fuller response.

常見錯誤

❌She briefly told him to leave.
✅She tersely told him to leave.
💡'Briefly' means 'for a short time'; 'tersely' means 'using few words, often with an unfriendly tone.'