uptight

[ uhp-tahyt ]

adjective

, Slang.

1. tense, nervous, or jittery.
2. annoyed or angry.
3. stiffly conventional in manner or attitudes.

uptight

/ ʌpˈtaɪt /

adjective

1. displaying tense repressed nervousness, irritability, or anger
2. unable to give expression to one's feelings, personality, etc

Other Words From

• up·tightness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of uptight¹

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

Example Sentences

One rallygoer, William Tate, a forty-something caterer and audio engineer, said he was “uptight” because “you have a political party that has proven that they will do anything under the sun to retain power,” referencing the Democrats.

From Salon

Sudden fame was a lot to take in, and he told Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1 in 2020 that he was "really quite uptight about a lot of everything that was going on" at that time.

From BBC

Recently, Harris has been engaging in what a New York Times op-ed called “vice signaling,” by talking about owning a gun and saying she would shoot intruders in her home—i.e., conveying to voters that she isn’t the scolding, uptight kind of liberal.

From Slate

Once the epitome of free-spirited fun, England have gradually lost their smile, not least the increasingly uptight Buttler.

From BBC

Who would want to be uptight when you could be irrepressible?

From Salon

Related Words

• anxious
• apprehensive
• cautious
• edgy
• nervous
• uneasy