tight-lipped

[ tahyt-lipt ]

adjective

1. speaking very little; taciturn; close-mouthed.
2. having the lips drawn tight.

tight-lipped

adjective

1. reticent, secretive, or taciturn
2. with the lips pressed tightly together, as through anger

Word History and Origins

Origin of tight-lipped¹

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

If “A Quiet Place” — the screenplay that put writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods on the map — was a rather tight-lipped, high-concept monster movie in which the characters could barely speak, “Heretic,” their latest film, which they wrote and directed, is the opposite.

From Los Angeles Times

Joshua remains tight-lipped about his future plans.

From Los Angeles Times

Moreover, as Zehme writes in the first chapter, Carson’s “ghostly wrath” “seems to still spook eternal; ancient pledges of tight-lipped ones persist, especially regarding his very human flaws. ”

From Los Angeles Times

While the showrunner remains tight-lipped about the finale, which, as usual, was written while they were filming the season, he describes it as “bittersweet” and calls it a “happy ending.”

From Los Angeles Times

It does not matter that her parents are Indian immigrants, or that she was raised Hindu, or that she has remained tight-lipped about her political opinions.

From Slate