Learn a Word Daily — Laconic
Today’s word is "Laconic": Using very few words; terse or brief in speech.
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Word of the Day · December 15, 2025
Laconic
luh-KON-ik · adjective
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Definition
- Using very few words; terse or brief in speech.
- So concise as to seem blunt, curt, or indifferent.
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Origin & Etymology
From Laconia, the region of ancient Greece that included Sparta, whose people were famous for their brief, no-nonsense way of speaking.
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Nuance
Laconic speech can be admirably efficient or frustratingly closed-off, depending on the situation and tone.
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Usage
“His laconic reply—“Fine.”—didn’t reveal much about how he really felt.”
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Fun Fact
A legendary laconic reply: when told an enemy would “darken the sky with arrows,” a Spartan warrior supposedly answered, “Then we will fight in the shade.”
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