TERSE is a valid Scrabble word — 5 points
Yes. TERSE is accepted by every list we check: Collins, the North American lists and Words with Friends. It scores 5 points in Scrabble and 5 in Words with Friends.
Which word lists accept TERSE?
| Official Scrabble Players DictionaryUSA, Canada, Thailand | Valid |
|---|---|
| Official Tournament and Club Word ListUSA, Canada, Thailand | Valid |
| Collins Scrabble WordsEnglish in most countries | Valid |
| Words with FriendsZynga word list | Valid |
Word power: 32 / 100
Our own measure of how useful TERSE is to know. It scores 5 from 5 tiles, takes 1 hook, and its letters make up 8.0% of the bag. How this number is calculated
Hooks for TERSE
Front hooks — 0
None.
Back hooks — 1
terserChecked against OSPD, TWL, CSW, WWF.
How TERSE scores
Face value of the 5 tiles in TERSE, before any board multiplier.
Tiles you need
| Letter | Needed | In the bag |
|---|---|---|
| t | 1 | 6 |
| e | 2 | 12 |
| r | 1 | 6 |
| s | 1 | 4 |
Drawing exactly these 5 tiles as an opening rack: 1 in 7,922.
What stands out about TERSE
- The same 5 tiles also spell 8 other words, so the rack is worth re-reading before you play it.
Counted from the four word lists we hold, not taken from anywhere else. How we calculate things
What does TERSE mean in Scrabble?
adjective
Brief and to the point, sometimes to the point of sounding curt.
Terse comes from the Latin word tersus, meaning wiped clean or polished, and the earliest English use praised writing for being neat and finely finished rather than short. Over time the sense narrowed toward brevity alone, and a terse reply today usually says just enough and no more. Whether a terse answer reads as efficient or as rude depends heavily on tone and context, since the same short sentence can serve either purpose. Writers of instructions and legal notices often aim for terse language on purpose, valuing clarity over warmth.
How TERSE is used
Describes speech or writing that says little but says it precisely; can sound either efficient or unfriendly.
- His terse reply left no room for further questions.
- The report was terse but covered every required point.
- She answered tersely and went back to her work.
- A terse email is not always a rude one.
- The instructions were terse enough to fit on one card.
Written for this site: 1 meaning of TERSE and 5 example sentences, not copied from a published dictionary.
Anagrams of TERSE
The 5 tiles of TERSE in a different order — 8 found.
Words starting with TERSE
5 longer words begin with TERSE.
Words with TERSE inside
Showing 24 of 40 words that contain TERSE somewhere in the middle. Words that start with TERSE are listed separately above, so nothing is repeated.
Shorter words from the letters in TERSE
Common questions about TERSE
- Is TERSE valid in Words with Friends?
- Yes. Words with Friends accepts TERSE, where it scores 5 points. That game keeps its own list, separate from the Scrabble dictionaries.
- How many points is TERSE worth?
- TERSE is worth 5 points in Scrabble and 5 points in Words with Friends.
- What does TERSE mean?
- Brief and to the point, sometimes to the point of sounding curt.
- What letters can be added to TERSE?
- TERSE takes 1 hook: 0 in front and 1 at the end.
Every word you can build from the 5 letters of TERSE:
Open TERSE in the Word Finder