brusque
/brʊsk
/ /bruːsk / /brʌsk /adjective
Abrupt or offhand in speech or manner: she could be brusque and impatient...
- There has been simmering resentment at the Chancellor's brusque manner when dealing with other spending ministers.
- It was a brusque apology, short and almost snappy, but it was genuine.
- An accurate formulation of a patient's condition and prognosis is of little value if it is conveyed to the patient in an off hand or brusque way and is too painful to hear.
Synonyms
curt, abrupt, blunt, short, sharp, terse, brisk, crisp, clipped, monosyllabic, peremptory, gruff, bluff;
caustic, tart, abrasive;
outspoken, plain-spoken, not afraid to call a spade a spade, indelicate, tactless, undiplomatic;
discourteous, impolite, rude, uncivil, offhand, snappish, snappy, churlish
Derivatives
brusquely
/ /ˈbruːskli / /ˈbrʌskli / adverb ...- Questions about his place in history were turned away, sometimes deftly, sometimes brusquely, at an otherwise tedious luncheon at the official Writers' Club.
- I therefore reply, briefly and brusquely, that I am not interested, and ring off.
- I grab the letter from her hand, a little more brusquely than necessary.
brusqueness
/ /ˈbruːsknəs / /ˈbrʌsknəs / noun ...- Like many shy people, her timidity at first masquerades as brusqueness - though not, according to old friends, as much as it used to.
- He looked taken aback by my brusqueness, but quickly shrugged it off.
- Beneath all his stubborn brusqueness, he was a solid friend and a loving father and husband.
brusquerie
- Insisting on order, a regular communicant, paterfamilias to his apprentices, and generous to children, the elderly and his Church, Holt retained his brusquerie, guile and wryness as shields against would-be imposters in a tough milieu.
- Yet at the same time, brusqueries are to be avoided.
- During his Musica Viva recital of three Beethoven sonatas given two weeks ago, Lewis showed that he has no qualms about exploring a composer's humour and brusqueries.
Origin
Mid 17th century: from French, 'lively, fierce', from Italian brusco 'sour'.
This has been adopted from the French word meaning ‘lively, fierce’, from Italian brusco ‘sour’. Brisk (late 16th century) is probably the same word.