tight-lipped
Americanadjective
-
speaking very little; taciturn; close-mouthed.
-
having the lips drawn tight.
adjective
-
reticent, secretive, or taciturn
-
with the lips pressed tightly together, as through anger
Etymology
Origin of tight-lipped
First recorded in 1875–80
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.
Also today: Wall Street usually knows what the Fed will do, but Chair Kevin Warsh’s tight-lipped posture makes today’s decision unusually hard to predict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Warsh has been tight-lipped about the central bank’s path, leaving many Fed-watchers unusually uncertain about what the Fed will do next.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026
Panel members have remained tight-lipped about what they will recommend, but if a German panel is anything to go by, they will not advise a blanket ban.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
She and her team clearly do not expect to stay in No 11, but with the incoming No 10 team tight-lipped about its cast list, we just don't know.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
He wanted to be optimistic, but she dropped another tight-lipped smile at him, and he knew that this was it.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
