adj. Using so few words that you seem impatient or angry; speaking in a short impatient way; saying as little as possible in an unfriendly way. Jim is always short-spoken when he is tired. We were hoping to borrow Dad's car, but he was so short-spoken when he came home that we were afraid to ask.
SHORT-SPOKEN
Meaning of SHORT-SPOKEN in English
American idioms English vocabulary. Английский словарь американских идиом. 2012