reticent
17
7.9
- adjective
- /ˈrɛtɪsənt/
:
reservado
- At the party, he seemed reticent, rarely joining in the conversations with others.
- verbally reticent
- quite reticent
- very reticent
But while the Scream has a visceral emotional impact, Mona Lisa's demure smile is famously reticent.
- But while the Scream has a visceral emotional impact, Mona Lisa's demure smile is famously reticent.
- And he's reticent to talk about him.
- A philosophy graduate still in a young woman who is very, very private and very reticent.
- They're not, they're, I don't want to say brave enough to make, but maybe they're a little more reticent to try and embrace that kind of change.
- And our doctors are reticent to be doing all these tests because they, the healthcare systems want to save money ultimately, right?
Examples
-
Despite being excellent at their jobs, many employees remain reticent about sharing their opinions during meetings.
-
Although she had great ideas, her reticent nature prevented her from speaking up in the group.
-
People that were friends of mine now are reticent to even talk with me.
-
You know, I thought you would be a little more reticent.
-
A very shy, reticent girl.
-
At the risk of pressing you on a point you seem reticent to discuss... ...may I ask you a straightforward question?
-
Because of the region's politics, local government leaders were reticent to get involved with the AHRI at first.
Academic text (2001) -
The acting talent that emerged astonished us; some very reticent students finally found their voice.
Academic text (2000) -
The girl was about seven, dark and pretty, with a reticent mouth that reminded him of Sarah Shanks.
Fiction book (1997) -
Facilitators could use such private rooms to elicit participation from students reticent to speak up in the group.
Academic text (2013)
Synonyms
71
4.9
A person who does not tell others about their plans or feelings
18
5.7
Not willing to speak or give information
15
7.5
Careful not to give away information or show their plans
5
8.4
A person who does not speak much and seems reserved
4
6.3
Not willing to talk or give information
4
8.0
Shy and not confident about speaking or acting in front of others
1
7.5
Not willing to talk or share information
1
8.1
Not willing or able to give information
Careful about showing feelings or strong opinions to avoid saying too much
Not willing to show feelings or talk much
Unwilling to talk or answer questions
Not talking much and often listening to others
A person who does not say opinions or feelings openly
Calm and controlled, not strong or showy
A shy, quiet person who does not like attention
Antonyms
How Reserved
Surface Forms
Morphology
reticent = retic + ent
Although it ends in the adjectival suffix '-ent', the stem 'retic' is not a standalone English word and the meaning cannot be derived from familiar English morphemes.
Etymology
Reticent comes from the Latin parts re- and tacere, where tacere means 'to be silent' and re- suggests 'back' or holding something in. You can see the same root in tacit ('silent'), so a reticent person 'holds back' words and stays quiet or reserved.