laconic

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ləˈkɒnɪk/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ləˈkɑnɪk/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(lə kon′ik)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
la•con•ic /ləˈkɑnɪk/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. using few words;
    terse;
    concise:His laconic reply to our appeal for help was "Look elsewhere.''
la•con•i•cal•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
la•con•ic  (lə kon′ik),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. using few words;
    expressing much in few words;
    concise:a laconic reply.
  • Greek Lakōnikós Laconian, equivalent. to Lákōn a Laconian + -ikos -ic
  • Latin Lacōnicus
  • 1580–90
la•con′i•cal•ly, adv. 
    brief, pithy, terse; succinct.
    voluble.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
laconic / ləˈkɒnɪk/, laconical
  1. (of a person's speech) using few words; terse
Etymology: 16th Century: via Latin from Greek Lakōnikos, from Lakōn Laconian, Spartan; referring to the Spartans' terseness of speechlaˈconically
'laconic' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
concise - curt - dry - hard-boiled - laconical - laconicum - laconism - salt - short - verbose - word

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