tight as a drum

Idioms  

1. Taut or close-fitting; also, watertight. For example, That baby's eaten so much that the skin on his belly is tight as a drum, or You needn't worry about leaks; this tent is tight as a drum. Originally this expression alluded to the skin of a drumhead, which is tightly stretched, and in the mid-1800s was transferred to other kinds of tautness. Later, however, it sometimes referred to a drum-shaped container, such as an oil drum, which had to be well sealed to prevent leaks, and the expression then signified “watertight.”

---

Example Sentences

With day-to-day spending, the Treasury will be tight as a drum, but relatively generous when it comes to capital spending.

From BBC • May 24, 2025

“I do my chores, too,” he said: washing the dishes and making the bed, tight as a drum, as he was taught at Camp Nebagamon when he was 10.

From New York Times • Apr. 4, 2023

As Americans prepare for the long Labor Day weekend, the U.S. labour market appears tight as a drum.

From Reuters • Sep. 2, 2022

The tension, already tight as a drum, spread through the Centre Court seats, as the faithful huddled against the growing chill.

From The Guardian • Jun. 22, 2019

Father Nicanor, with his liver enlarged and tight as a drum, gave him his blessing from bed.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez