From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcurtcurt /kɜːt $ kɜːrt/ adjective RUDE/IMPOLITEusing very few words in a way that seems rude SYN abrupt With a curt nod, he turned away and sat down. a curt note —curtly adverb —curtness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
curt• The rap on the door was hard and curt.• Polly was curt and businesslike with her clients.• I responded with curt answers tempered with moderate annoyance.• She hadn't missed the sting in the tail in that curt directive.• It was too absurd - the invitation, then this curt dismissal, as if I had exhausted his patience.• She answered their questions with a curt "No comment".• This diligence can only be exercised once the curt papers have been served on the debtor.• Her story was sent back with a curt rejection note.• Charman's curt reviews got slightly more excitable as the year drew on.• Blanche gave a few more curt television interviews, voicing her horror at the murder and appealing for any information.• He responded with a curt, three-sentence letter.• His curt tone made her stomach lurch.Origin curt (1300-1400) Latin curtus “shortened” 