Curt
/kɜːrt/
Definitions
Rudely brief; abrupt.
/kɜːrt/
Brief and somewhat rude in speech or manner.
The customer service representative was curt and unhelpful.
💡 Simply: Imagine you ask someone a question, and instead of giving you a helpful answer, they just say something super short and a little grumpy. That's being curt! Like, instead of saying 'Yes, the store is open until 9,' they just say 'Yes.'
👶 For kids: When someone is talking to you but they're being really short and not very nice, we say they're being curt.
More Examples
Her curt response made it clear she wasn't interested in further discussion.
He gave a curt nod and walked away.
How It's Used
"He gave a curt reply to her question."
"The king's curt dismissal left the knight feeling humiliated."
From Latin *curtus* meaning 'shortened, cut short'.
Used since the 16th century to describe a shortened or abbreviated manner of speech or behavior.
Memory tip
Think of a *curt* greeting: it's short and not very friendly, like a quick *cut* off of the conversation.
Word Origin
"shortened"