buttoned-up

[ buht-nd-uhp ]

adjective

1. conservative, as in professional style or manner:

   Employers are looking for buttoned-up types.

2. carefully planned, operated, supervised, etc.:

   It's one of the most buttoned-up companies in the business.

Word History and Origins

Origin of buttoned-up¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

The buttoned-up, pantsuit-wearing former oncologist is not a repeat of the eager “Goldbergs” matriarch, but the character maintains the actor’s knack for playing beleaguered exhaustion for comedic effect.

From Los Angeles Times

Griffin mines the polarity between her envelope-pushing persona and the buttoned-up glamour of A-List celebrity with aplomb to reveal that even the biggest stars are as absurd as the rest of us.

From Salon

It was then, she said, that this buttoned-up, emotion-averse follower of traditional gender roles “entered the 1970s.”

From Los Angeles Times

But his outsize personality and flamboyant lifestyle clashed with the company’s buttoned-up culture.

From Los Angeles Times

Of course, part of the charm of Elsbeth on “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” is how she stood out in contrast to the more serious, buttoned-up characters around her.

From Los Angeles Times