# terse

> English word · Adjective · IPA /tɜːs/ · frequency rank #43,411

## Definitions
1. Of speech or style: brief, concise, to the point.
2. Of manner or speech: abruptly or brusquely short; curt.
3. Burnished, polished; fine, smooth; neat, spruce.

## Etymology
From Latin tersus (“clean, cleansed, rubbed or wiped off; neat, spruce; terse”), perfect passive participle of Latin tergeō, tergō (“to clean, cleanse, rub, wipe, wipe off”).

## Easily confused with
- **tre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-tre)
- **tse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-tse)
- **true** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-true)
- **test** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-test)
- **tree** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-tree)
- **tire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-tire)
- **tore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-tore)
- **tyre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-tyre)
- **Tess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-tess)
- **there** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-there)
- **these** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-these)
- **those** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-those)
- **three** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-three)
- **torso** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-torso)
- **Tessa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/terse-vs-tessa)
- **tee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tee-vs-terse)
- **ter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ter-vs-terse)
- **term** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/term-vs-terse)
- **tens** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tens-vs-terse)
- **Tees** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tees-vs-terse)

## Common misspellings (5)
`etrse`, `terrse`, `tersse`, `tesre`, `tterse`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/terse