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Glite Dictionary
closelipped

closelipped

8.3
Not willing to tell people private things
  • adjective
  • /ˈkloʊsˌlɪpt/
translation icon : reservado
  • He remained closelipped about his plans for the future, not revealing any details.

Examples

  • The detective was closelipped, providing no clues about the ongoing investigation.

  • Despite the rumors, she was closelipped during the interview, choosing to keep her thoughts private.

  • "While you?" Another smile, closelipped, but the fangs still showed.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

secretive
vscloselipped
71 4.9

A person who does not tell others about their plans or feelings

is about refusing to share specific information rather than a broad hiding habit
close
vscloselipped
42 7.0

Not willing to tell others about something

focuses on keeping matters private rather than suggesting external control
tight-lipped
vscloselipped
18 5.7

Not willing to speak or give information

prefers to keep matters private rather than only staying silent
reticent
vscloselipped
17 7.9

Not willing to talk about thoughts or feelings easily

is about unwillingness to share facts or information more than feelings
cagey
vscloselipped
15 7.5

Careful not to give away information or show their plans

keeps information private without the marked cunning or calculation
hush-hush
vscloselipped
  • Informal
13 7.5

People keep it secret from most others to avoid being noticed

refers to not sharing information rather than secrecy of events
closeted
vscloselipped
1 7.2

Kept secret from the public, often about meetings or plans

describes a person's habit of not sharing rather than being hidden by others
closemouthed
vscloselipped
1 7.5

Not willing to talk or share information

holds back information more broadly, not only during speech
hole-and-corner
vscloselipped
  • Archaic
9.3

A secret way of doing things to hide small dishonest acts

means keeping matters private without implying dishonesty or shady acts

Antonyms

open
702 1.0

Willing to consider new ideas

communicative
3 3.8

Willing to talk and share information or feelings

How Secretive

secretive
71 4.9
closelipped
8.3
reticent
17 7.9
reserved
3.7

Surface Forms

closelipped positive

Morphology

closelipped = close + lip (transparent) = close + lip + ed

The adjective is a straightforward compound 'close' + 'lip(s)' (with -ed), metaphorically 'keeping one's lips closed', so learners who know 'close' and 'lip' can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Closelipped comes from the simple words close ('shut') and lip ('mouth'). Think of someone with their lips shut, like the common phrase 'tight-lipped' — that's why closelipped means not willing to share information or keeping things secret.