tight

[ tahyt ]
See synonyms for: tighttightertightesttightly on Thesaurus.com

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.

  1. affording little or no extra room; fitting closely, especially too closely: a tight collar.

  2. difficult to deal with or manage: to be in a tight situation.

  3. of such close or compacted texture, or fitted together so closely, as to be impervious to water, air, steam, etc.: a good, tight roof.

  4. concise; terse: a tight style of writing.

  5. firm; rigid: his tight control of the company.

  6. carefully arranged or organized and full; affording little leeway; packed: a tight schedule.

  7. nearly even; close: a tight race.

  8. Informal.

    • close, as friends; familiar or intimate.

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

  9. Slang. amazing; cool: Your new place is tight!

  10. Older Slang. drunk; tipsy.

  11. characterized by scarcity or eager demand; limited; restricted: a tight job market;tight money.

  12. Journalism. (of a newspaper) having more news available than is required for or utilizable in a particular issue.

  13. Baseball. inside (def. 18).

  14. Scot. and North England. competent or skillful.

  15. 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.

Idioms about tight

  1. sit tight, to take no action.

Origin of tight

1
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”)

Other words for tight

Other words from tight

  • tightly, adverb
  • tightness, noun
  • o·ver·tight, adjective
  • o·ver·tight·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·tight·ness, noun

Words Nearby tight

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tight in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for 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

  1. held, made, fixed, or closed firmly and securely: a tight knot

    • of close and compact construction or organization, esp so as to be impervious to water, air, etc

    • (in combination): watertight; airtight

  2. unyielding or stringent: to keep a tight hold on resources

  3. cramped or constricted: a tight fit

  4. mean or miserly

  5. difficult and problematic: a tight situation

  6. hardly profitable: a tight bargain

  7. economics

    • (of a commodity) difficult to obtain; in excess demand

    • (of funds, money, etc) difficult and expensive to borrow because of high demand or restrictive monetary policy

    • (of markets) characterized by excess demand or scarcity with prices tending to rise: Compare easy (def. 8)

  8. (of a match or game) very close or even

  9. (of a team or group, esp of a pop group) playing well together, in a disciplined coordinated way

  10. informal drunk

  11. informal (of a person) showing tension

  12. archaic, or dialect neat

adverb
  1. in a close, firm, or secure way: pull it tight

  2. sit tight

    • to wait patiently; bide one's time

    • to maintain one's position, stand, or opinion firmly

  1. sleep tight to sleep soundly

Origin of tight

1
C14: probably variant of thight, from Old Norse thēttr close; related to Middle High German dīhte thick

Derived forms of tight

  • tightly, adverb
  • tightness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with tight

tight

In addition to the idioms beginning with tight

  • tight as a drum
  • tight as a tick
  • tighten one's belt
  • tighten the screws
  • tight rein on, a
  • tight ship
  • tight spot
  • tight squeeze

also see:

  • in a bind (tight corner)
  • sit tight

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.