tight-lipped

[ tahyt-lipt ]
See synonyms for tight-lipped on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. speaking very little; taciturn; close-mouthed.

  2. having the lips drawn tight.

Origin of tight-lipped

1
First recorded in 1875–80

Words Nearby tight-lipped

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tight-lipped in a sentence

  • Most of these were workmen of some kind or other, called in to help the lab crew as needed, but all of them were tight-lipped.

    Security | Poul William Anderson
  • A slightly sardonic grimace wrinkled his tight-lipped mouth.

    The Hidden Places | Bertrand W. Sinclair
  • Then, very tight-lipped, he issued out beneath the awning, where among the Malays a whispering buzz of talk was forward.

    Cursed | George Allan England
  • He gave not only Jack's lilt and phraseology, but his facial changes and rather prim, tight-lipped smile.

    Lady Lilith | Stephen McKenna
  • tight-lipped, using her flashlight, she ran through the kitchen.

    The White Moll | Frank L. Packard

British Dictionary definitions for tight-lipped

tight-lipped

adjective
  1. reticent, secretive, or taciturn

  2. with the lips pressed tightly together, as through anger

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