curt

«curt» in Mova's school dictionary: rudely short: a curt reply uses very few words and sounds… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

part of speech

adjective (curt, curter, curtest — comparatives rare; usually more curt)

meaning for a pupil

1) Curt means rudely short: a curt reply uses very few words and sounds cold or unfriendly. tree →

2) (rare) Curt can mean simply brief or short. tree →

sense in the lessons

In stories it shows a character's mood: a curt answer tells the reader that someone is cross, busy or does not want to talk. In everyday life it helps describe how people speak. Phrases: «a curt reply», «a curt nod», «curt tone». Related adverb: curtly.

examples

• «No,» she said in a curt voice. tree →
• His curt reply made me feel silly for asking. tree →
• The shopkeeper gave us a curt nod. tree →
• Try not to be curt with your little sister. tree →
• The email was curt: «Not today.» tree →
• The coach was curt after the team lost. tree →
• I'm sorry I was so curt with you this morning. tree →

note

Adjective; adverb: curtly; noun: curtness. Do not confuse with «Kurt» or «Curt» (boys' names) or with «curtain». A curt answer is short in a rude way; a «brief» answer is just short, not necessarily rude.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «curt» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.