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Synonyms

taciturn

American  
[tas-i-turn] / ˈtæs ɪˌtɜrn /

adjective

  1. inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.

    Synonyms:
    quiet, reticent, uncommunicative, silent

  2. dour, stern, and silent in expression and manner.

taciturn British  
/ ˈtæsɪˌtɜːn /

adjective

  1. habitually silent, reserved, or uncommunicative; not inclined to conversation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • taciturnity noun
  • taciturnly adverb
  • untaciturn adjective
  • untaciturnly adverb

Etymology

Origin of taciturn

First recorded in 1765–75; from Latin taciturnus, “quiet, maintaining silence,” equivalent to tacit(us) “silent” ( tacit ) + -urnus adjective suffix of time

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She is as warm and outgoing as he is taciturn and undemonstrative.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

The new bridge, constructed with Turkish assistance, was recently completed under the watchful eye of a professional, if taciturn, Ugandan army unit.

From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025

And on another potentially tricky topic, the sacking of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the US over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, Trump was unusually taciturn.

From BBC • Sep. 18, 2025

The performance is taciturn and nonverbal; he’s got a mouthpiece in Will Patton’s folksy narration, but what Edgerton is doing is worth leaning in for, complex and fascinating.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025

One is a taciturn doughy man with blond hair and a mustache, who I don’t much like.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.