tight

[ tahyt ]

adjective

, tight·er, tight·est.

1. firmly or closely fixed in place; not easily moved; secure:

   a tight knot.

2. drawn or stretched so as to be tense; taut.
3. affording little or no extra room; fitting closely, especially too closely:

   a tight collar.

4. difficult to deal with or manage:

   to be in a tight situation.

5. of such close or compacted texture, or fitted together so closely, as to be impervious to water, air, steam, etc.:

   a good, tight roof.

6. concise; terse:

   a tight style of writing.

7. firm; rigid:

   his tight control of the company.

8. carefully arranged or organized and full; affording little leeway; packed:

   a tight schedule.

9. nearly even; close:

   a tight race.

10. Informal.
    1. close, as friends; familiar or intimate.
    2. united:

       The strikers are tight in their refusal to accept the proposed contract.

11. parsimonious; stingy.

    Synonyms: sparing, saving, frugal, mean, close

12. Slang. amazing; cool:

    Your new place is tight!

13. Older Slang. drunk; tipsy.
14. characterized by scarcity or eager demand; limited; restricted:

    a tight job market;

    tight money.

15. Journalism. (of a newspaper) having more news available than is required for or utilizable in a particular issue.
16. Baseball. inside ( def 18 ).
17. Scot. and North England. competent or skillful.
18. tidy; orderly.
19. neatly or well built or made.

adverb

, tight·er, tight·est.

1. in a tight manner; closely; securely; tautly; firmly:

   Shut the door tight.

   The shirt fit tight across the shoulders.

2. soundly or deeply:

   to sleep tight.

tight

/ taɪt /

adjective

1. stretched or drawn so as not to be loose; taut

   a tight cord

2. fitting or covering in a close manner

   a tight dress

3. held, made, fixed, or closed firmly and securely

   a tight knot

4. 1. of close and compact construction or organization, esp so as to be impervious to water, air, etc
   2. ( in combination )

      watertight

      airtight

5. unyielding or stringent

   to keep a tight hold on resources

6. cramped or constricted

   a tight fit

7. mean or miserly
8. difficult and problematic

   a tight situation

9. hardly profitable

   a tight bargain

10. economics
    1. (of a commodity) difficult to obtain; in excess demand
    2. (of funds, money, etc) difficult and expensive to borrow because of high demand or restrictive monetary policy
    3. (of markets) characterized by excess demand or scarcity with prices tending to rise Compare easy
11. (of a match or game) very close or even
12. (of a team or group, esp of a pop group) playing well together, in a disciplined coordinated way
13. informal.
    drunk
14. informal.
    (of a person) showing tension
15. archaic.
    neat

adverb

1. in a close, firm, or secure way

   pull it tight

2. sit tight
   1. to wait patiently; bide one's time
   2. to maintain one's position, stand, or opinion firmly
3. sleep tight
   to sleep soundly

Derived Forms

• ˈtightly, adverb
• ˈtightness, noun

Other Words From

• tightly adverb
• tightness noun
• over·tight adjective
• over·tightly adverb
• over·tightness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tight¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, pronunciation variant of Middle English thight “dense, solid, tight,” from Old Norse thēttr (cognate with Old English -thiht “firm, solid,” Dutch, German dicht “tight, close, dense”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of tight¹

C14: probably variant of thight, from Old Norse thēttr close; related to Middle High German dīhte thick

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. sit tight, to take no action.

More idioms and phrases containing tight

• in a bind (tight corner)
• sit tight

Example Sentences

While the FCC is an independent agency that is overseen by Congress, Trump has suggested he wants to bring it under tighter White House control.

From Los Angeles Times

His replacement David Tydeman described the challenges of fitting the LNG system into the tight machinery spaces as more complex than building a Type 26 frigate.

From BBC

California also has some of the tightest gun control laws in the country.

From Los Angeles Times

Cohn thinks people should sit tight before liquidating all their assets — especially if selling off their home and stocks could lead to tax penalties.

From Salon

"I don't think it's any secret we had our ups and downs, but towards the end we were pretty tight," said Keothavong.

From BBC

Related Words

• compact
• cramped
• fast
• inflexible
• narrow
• rigid
• solid
• stable
• steady
• stiff
• strained
• strong
• sturdy
• taut
• tense
• thick
• tightened