The adjective terse means concise and direct words that may seem harsh. It is often seen as a rude and unfriendly way of speaking.
Synonyms are brief, concise, blunt or laconic.
The word origins from French (1590s) ters meaning “clean” and directly from Latin tersus meaning “wiped off, clean, neat” and past participle of tergere meaning “to rub, polish, wipe” which is of uncertain origin.
Shiela’s terse words make a good rebuttal.
The teacher’s terse instructions was clear to the students.
Mel wrote a terse rebuttal against his opponent’s statement.