diff --git a/data/templates/default.typst b/data/templates/default.typst
index 8557c16e0..54264b71c 100644
--- a/data/templates/default.typst
+++ b/data/templates/default.typst
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 #let horizontalrule = line(start: (25%,0%), end: (75%,0%))
 
-#show terms.item: it => block(breakable: false)[
-  #text(weight: "bold")[#it.term]
-  #block(inset: (left: 1.5em, top: -0.4em))[#it.description]
-]
+#set terms(hanging-indent: 1.5em)
 
 #set table(
   inset: 6pt,
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Typst.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Typst.hs
index 2dc3f46a1..25f99c015 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Typst.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Typst.hs
@@ -403,7 +403,10 @@ defListItemToTypst (term, defns) = do
   term' <- inlinesToTypst term
   modify $ \st -> st{ stEscapeContext = NormalContext }
   defns' <- mapM blocksToTypst defns
-  return $ nowrap ("/ " <> term' <> ": " <> "#block[") $$
+  return $
+    case defns of
+      [[Plain _]] -> hang 4 (nowrap ("/ " <> term' <> ": ")) (vcat defns')
+      _ -> nowrap ("/ " <> term' <> ": " <> "#block[") $$
             chomp (vsep defns') $$ "]"
 
 listItemToTypst :: PandocMonad m => Int -> Doc Text -> [Block] -> TW m (Doc Text)
diff --git a/test/writer.typst b/test/writer.typst
index fbcd87d6a..3bb866950 100644
--- a/test/writer.typst
+++ b/test/writer.typst
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 #let horizontalrule = line(start: (25%,0%), end: (75%,0%))
 
-#show terms.item: it => block(breakable: false)[
-  #text(weight: "bold")[#it.term]
-  #block(inset: (left: 1.5em, top: -0.4em))[#it.description]
-]
+#set terms(hanging-indent: 1.5em)
 
 #set table(
   inset: 6pt,
@@ -444,27 +441,15 @@ B. Williams
 <definition-lists>
 Tight using spaces:
 
-/ apple: #block[
-red fruit
-]
-/ orange: #block[
-orange fruit
-]
-/ banana: #block[
-yellow fruit
-]
+/ apple: red fruit
+/ orange: orange fruit
+/ banana: yellow fruit
 
 Tight using tabs:
 
-/ apple: #block[
-red fruit
-]
-/ orange: #block[
-orange fruit
-]
-/ banana: #block[
-yellow fruit
-]
+/ apple: red fruit
+/ orange: orange fruit
+/ banana: yellow fruit
 
 Loose: