tight-lipped

[tahyt-lipt]

adjective

1. speaking very little; taciturn; close-mouthed.

2. having the lips drawn tight.

tight-lipped

adjective

1. reticent, secretive, or taciturn

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tight-lipped¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

To avoid making the batteries a target, Ukrainians are tight-lipped about their specific location and details of the measures in place to protect them from Russian attack, which include strategically placed air defenses.

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They're tight-lipped, however, about larger career goals.

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Tung has been tight-lipped about his ascent to the country’s busiest circuit.

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Authorities have been tight-lipped about what role - if any - the suspect's politics played in the attack.

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In the small town of Korumburra though, where the Wilkinson and Patterson families are firmly rooted, the community has closed ranks around them, and remained tight-lipped during the media onslaught.

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