What does clipped mean?
Clipped is an adjective with two main uses. Most commonly it describes speech that is short, quick, and sharply articulated, often suggesting briskness, impatience, formality, or emotional restraint — a character might give 'a clipped reply' or speak in 'clipped tones'. The word also describes anything that has been cut or trimmed short, such as clipped hair, clipped nails, or neatly clipped hedges. In addition, 'clipped' serves as the past tense and past participle of the verb 'to clip', meaning to cut, trim, or fasten with a clip. When applied to accents and diction, the term has long been associated with certain styles of cultivated British English, where consonants are crisply finished and vowels are compressed. Its connotations range from efficient professionalism to coldness or curtness, depending on context, which makes it a useful word for describing both voices and verbal mannerisms with precision.
(Of speech) short, quick, and sharply articulated; terse.
"He answered in a clipped voice and hung up."
Often implies impatience, formality, or restraint.
Cut short or neatly trimmed.
"Her clipped hair barely reached her ears."
Past tense and past participle of 'clip': to cut, trim, or fasten.
"She clipped the coupon from the newspaper."
The clipped British accent so beloved of old films was once taught deliberately in elocution lessons as the mark of authority.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clipped
Clipped derives from the verb 'clip', which entered Middle English from Old Norse 'klippa', meaning to cut or shear, brought by Scandinavian settlers during the Viking Age. This Norse-derived 'clip' (to cut) is distinct from the separate Middle English word 'clip' meaning to embrace or clasp, which came from Old English 'clyppan' and survives in 'lipstick' only through its noun sense of holding fast. The adjective 'clipped' developed naturally from the past participle, first describing things sheared or trimmed and later extended figuratively to speech delivered in short, sharply cut segments.
Related word forms
How clipped is actually used
When describing speech, 'clipped' often carries a connotation of formality, efficiency, or coldness, and is frequently used of stereotyped upper-class British accents. As a description of things physically trimmed, it is neutral.
Easily confused with clipped
'Chipped' means having small pieces broken off an edge or surface, while 'clipped' means cut short or spoken in short, sharp bursts.