taciturn
tac·i·turn
adj \ˈta-sə-ˌtərn\Definition of TACITURN
: temperamentally disinclined to talk
— tac·i·tur·ni·ty \ˌta-sə-ˈtər-nə-tē\ noun
See Examples of TACITURN
- a somewhat taciturn young man
- <a taciturn man, he almost never initiates a conversation>
- I went on speech strike … remaining defiantly taciturn through a procession of speech therapists and psychotherapists, verbalizing only to the gardener and swearing him to silence. —Simon Schama, New Republic, 22 July 2002
- The pipe-smoking Malcolm Cowley … though a faithful fellow-traveller, was too taciturn usually to show his hand. —Mary McCarthy, Granta 27, Summer 1989
- She was a small, taut, pale, wiry London girl, alarmingly taciturn, demon at basketball (at which she captained us) … —Elizabeth Bowen, The Mulberry Tree, 1986
- When he got to the substation that night, this private taciturn fellow had to spill his guts. If he didn't tell somebody, he might blow like a land mine. —Joseph Wambaugh, Lines and Shadows, 1984
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Origin of TACITURN
French or Latin; French taciturne, from Middle French, from Latin taciturnus, from tacitus (see tacit)
First Known Use: 1734
Related to TACITURN
Antonyms: blabby, chatty, communicative, conversational, gabby, garrulous, loquacious, motormouthed, mouthy, talkative, talky, unreserved
Related Words: aloof, indrawn, inhibited, introverted, reserved, restrained; sedate, self-contained, sober, staid; backward, bashful, coy, demure, diffident, modest, retiring, self-effacing, sheepish
Near Antonyms: free-spoken, outspoken, vocal; gossipy, talebearing; diffuse, long-winded, prolix, rambling, verbose, windy, wordy; extroverted (also extraverted), gregarious, outgoing, sociable
See Synonym Discussion at silent
Rhymes with TACITURN
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