brusque

CEFRC2

/bɹʊsk/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Using very few words and seeming rude or unfriendly.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Sour, tart.

Examples

  • I was a little brusque with you before.

  • The nurse gave a brusque reply before hurrying to the next room.

At a glance

Sits at C2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • /bɹuːsk/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. To act towards (someone or something) in a curt or rudely abrupt manner.

  2. Abrupt or offhand in speech or manner; blunt and brief.

  3. Rudely abrupt; curt, unfriendly.

More examples

In context

  • [A]ll the answer Miss Jarron got was a brusque refusal, followed by Mr. Camperton's retreat from the piano.

  • [T]he thin and bruske harſh vvine doth nouriſh the bodie leſſe, but yet more agreeable and nutritive it is to the ſtomack.

  • They admired in each other a brusque self-assurance and artless candor that others often perceived as arrogant.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The manager's blank reply upset the employees who expected a polite response.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

The adjective is borrowed from French brusque, from Italian brusco (“abrupt, sudden, brusque; brisk; eager; sour, tart; unripe; grim-looking”); further etymology unknown. The verb is derived from the adjective.