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Synonyms

uptight

American  
[uhp-tahyt] / ˈʌpˈtaɪt /

adjective

Slang.

  1. tense, nervous, or jittery.

  2. annoyed or angry.

  3. stiffly conventional in manner or attitudes.

uptight British  
/ ʌpˈtaɪt /

adjective

  1. displaying tense repressed nervousness, irritability, or anger

  2. unable to give expression to one's feelings, personality, etc

"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

Other Word Forms

  • uptightness noun

Etymology

Origin of uptight

1960–65, up (perhaps as intensifier) + tight

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.

Sean Penn, Hollywood's eternal rebel, on Sunday won a third Oscar for his comic yet terrifying portrayal of an absurdly uptight soldier ashamed of his past in "One Battle After Another."

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

The depictions of Ruth’s uptight and stingy brother Hyacinth and jealous and mother-in-law from hell “old Mrs. Hall” are both hoots.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

He would have probably been more restrained and uptight if it hadn't been Levy asking the questions.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2025

As a 25-year-old Boston Symphony assistant conductor, he was speaking to audiences, sharing enthusiasm that not all uptight Bostonians were quite ready for.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2025

He looked sort of disheveled and less uptight.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

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.