curtly C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities US /ˈkɜrtli/ UK /ˈkɜːtli/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adv in a brief and abrupt, often rude, manner He answered curtly and turned away. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adv · in a brief and abrupt,... terselybrusquelyabruptlybluntlyshortly ↔ Opposites politelygraciouslyexpansively Word family Related forms curtcurtnesscurtail Etymology AI details From English 'curt' + the adverbial suffix -ly; 'curt' is from Latin curtus ('shortened, cut off'). curtus Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # curtly **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adv **IPA (US):** /ˈkɜrtli/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈkɜːtli/ ## Meanings 1. in a brief and abrupt, often rude, manner ## Examples - He answered curtly and turned away. ## Synonyms - tersely - brusquely - abruptly - bluntly - shortly ## Antonyms - politely - graciously - expansively ## Related Forms - curt - curtness - curtail ## Roots and Affixes - Root: curtus ## Etymology From English 'curt' + the adverbial suffix -ly; 'curt' is from Latin curtus ('shortened, cut off'). ## AI Etymology Curtly is from English 'curt' + the adverbial suffix -ly; 'curt' is from Latin curtus ('shortened, cut off'). The immediate etymological form is Latin curtus. The suffix -ly forms an adverb or adjective from the base, so the English form is shaped by recognizable word formation as well as by its inherited or borrowed base. In present use as an adverb, it means "in a brief and abrupt, often rude, manner", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include curt, curtness, and curtail. ## Topics - Describing Qualities - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown