uptight
Americanadjective
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tense, nervous, or jittery.
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annoyed or angry.
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stiffly conventional in manner or attitudes.
adjective
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displaying tense repressed nervousness, irritability, or anger
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unable to give expression to one's feelings, personality, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of uptight
Explanation
To be uptight is to be tense. When you're uptight, you're stressed out and anxious. If your friends are always telling you to relax, you may be a little uptight. People who are uptight tend to be stressed out. Your worried grandmother might be considered uptight, and so might your sister's angry teacher who is always yelling at the class. The adjective uptight was first used as popular slang in the 1930's to mean "tense." In the 1960's, the connotation changed to "straight-laced" or "conservative." For a brief time, uptight appeared in jazz slang meaning "excellent."
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
I've worked so hard to be in these positions, the last thing I'm going to do is get uptight about it.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 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
“Aunt Jo. Say it just like that. Let the words slide out and don’t be so uptight about it. It’s just English, not too complicated.”
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
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.
