terse /tɜːs $ tɜːrs/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: tersus 'clean, neat' , from tergere 'to wipe off' ]
a terse reply, message etc uses very few words and often shows that you are annoyed SYN abrupt :
Derek’s terse reply ended the conversation.
—tersely adverb :
‘Continue!’ he said tersely.
—terseness noun [uncountable]