tight-lipped
Americanadjective
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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.
“My mother is a very tight-lipped person,” Jones says.
From Los Angeles Times
Convoys of diplomatic vehicles criss-crossed the rainswept Swiss city, with journalists trying to work out who was going where, as the countries involved kept tight-lipped on how the talks were progressing.
From Barron's
The family is tight-lipped, the bakers even more so.
From Salon
Why exactly work stopped remains something of a mystery, with the site owner and local authority remaining tight-lipped, and people sharing theories with Jay online.
From BBC
At a press conference after the rate decision Thursday, Lagarde is expected, as usual, to stay tight-lipped on the future direction of rates.
From Barron's
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.
