🕴️ Very formal 🤐 Emotionally reserved

buttoned-up

2 8.1

Reserved and not likely to talk about personal feelings

adjective
/ˈbʌtənd ʌp/

: reservado

He hosted us off the coast of Catalina on his yacht, and he couldn't have been a more gracious host, and Irene is a little buttoned up.

Examples

You see, we have questioned Lolita on the home situation... ...but she says not a word, stays with her lips buttoned up.

Lolita (1962)
Despite his buttoned-up demeanor, she discovered that he was quite friendly once you got to know him.
And keep your lips buttoned up.

Dead End (1937)
Still good at keepin' your lips buttoned up?

Dead End (1937)
I find it hard to connect with my buttoned-up colleagues during meetings.
Living in such a buttoned-up community makes it difficult to make new friends.

Antonyms

outgoing

46 3.0

Friendly and confident when talking to other people

talkative

33 2.5

A person who likes to speak a lot with other people

How Reserved

uncommunicative

4 6.3

buttoned-up

2 8.1

reserved

3.7

quiet

189 1.0

talkative

33 2.5

Surface Forms

buttoned-up positive

Morphology

buttoned-up = button + up (semi-transparent) = button + up + ed

Derived from the phrasal verb 'button up' with participial '-ed' used adjectivally; the emotional restraint sense comes from a metaphorical 'closed' state, so it is not fully literal.

Etymology

Buttoned-up is used in British English to mean someone who keeps their top button done up, so they seem neat and emotionally 'closed' or quiet and do not share personal feelings.