taciturn
Americanadjective
-
inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.
- Synonyms:
- quiet, reticent, uncommunicative, silent
-
dour, stern, and silent in expression and manner.
adjective
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.
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
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
Curry was extraordinarily good on the pitch and spectacularly taciturn in the aftermath.
From BBC
Anyone who likes this kind of pulp knows these avenging angel characters are more or less the same: intense, taciturn, minimalist.
From Los Angeles Times
In a mountainous village of post-war Italy, a taciturn Sicilian soldier hides out after deserting the army.
From BBC
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.
