uptightness
- noun
- /ˈʌpˌtaɪtnəs/
- Informal
- His uptightness about getting everything perfect made it hard for him to enjoy the party.
And I think there's a lot of this weird kind of like weird sort of like what I refer to as selective uptightness that the people are able to turn on and turn off.
- And I think there's a lot of this weird kind of like weird sort of like what I refer to as selective uptightness that the people are able to turn on and turn off.
Examples
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The uptightness in the office created a tense atmosphere that was hard to bear.
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I probably overdid it a little to make up for your uptightness.
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Thank you, Mathew, for dealing with my uptightness on a regular basis.
Blog text (26) -
And I think there's a lot of this weird kind of like weird sort of like what I refer to as selective uptightness that the people are able to turn on and turn off.
-
She struggled with her uptightness, which prevented her from relaxing during the vacation.
Synonyms
A strict way of acting or thinking that does not change
A feeling of nervousness and tension that makes you easily annoyed
A reserved, formal way of behaving that hides feelings
Antonyms
How Tense
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Uptightness comes from the simple parts up and tight plus the ending -ness, where tight means 'not loose' and up makes it stronger. Think of pulling something so it becomes very 'tight', and that is a helpful picture for the tense, nervous feeling that uptightness describes.