Meaning of tightness in English:

tightness

Pronunciation /ˈtʌɪtnɪs/

Translate tightness into Spanish

noun

mass noun

1The quality of being fixed, fastened, or closed firmly.
‘the tightness of the seal was tested’
- ‘the tightness of the knot’
- ‘he increased the tightness of his hold’
- ‘Her knuckles were white from the tightness of her fist around the handle.’
- ‘If anything is impeding the tightness of the door's seal, you may have additional leakage.’
- ‘The door and frame assemblies can be tested to achieve specific requirements of air tightness, water infiltration or gas tightness through the use of add-on seals.’
- ‘The thickness of the threads and the tightness with which they are woven together affect the handling properties of the cloth, its stability, and texture.’
- ‘Improvement in air tightness can paradoxically create problems in moisture retention, because the lack of air flow slows drying.’
- ‘The construction is solid. Over the course of testing, the dials still have the same tightness to them.’
1. 1.1The quality of being close-fitting.
  ‘he managed to make himself comfortable on the chair despite the tightness of his trousers’
  ‘The tightness of the shirt brought her little breasts together.’
  ‘The tightness, well, it shows off the figure of the woman, kind of like a subtle distraction.’
  ‘The tightness of the central spindle means it's a devil of a thing to get the DVD out of safely.’
  ‘He finally moved his eyes lower, down her neck to where the tightness of her tank top revealed each of her lines and curves of her breasts.’
  ‘The tightness of their tapered trousers and their designer rollnecks make them look like 1960s mods.’
2The state of being stretched.
‘you can vary the tightness of the knitting’
- ‘the cook checked the ropes for tightness’
- ‘I have only to break into the tightness of a strawberry, and I see summer …’
- ‘The symptoms of lymphoedema include tightness and stretching of the skin.’
- ‘He picked a bow made out of strong holly and which had a slight tightness to the string.’
- ‘Students control the shape of the basket by placing the center core rope in different positions and by the degree of tightness of the stitches.’
- ‘Checking the tightness of the straps one last time, he headed back to the lobby.’
1. 2.1A painful and constricted feeling in part of the body as a result of anxiety or illness.
  ‘he had an X-ray after complaining of tightness in his chest’
  ‘the tightness in my throat returned’
  ‘stretching will help prevent muscle tightness’
  ‘The tightness returned, constricting her chest.’
  ‘She reached over and scratched the back of his neck, surprised by the tightness she felt.’
  ‘Dancers with prior injuries often need special exercises to correct residual tightness or weakness, to avoid reinjury.’
  ‘She massaged my upper back and shoulders, where I am prone to pain and tightness.’
  ‘She saw the tightness in the way the men were biting their lips, the stiff way they held their shoulders, the way their eyes darted from side to side.’
  ‘I had been experiencing some tightness in my chest, some shortness of breath.’
  ‘"She hasn't eaten anything in days …" Kathy explained, with a tightness around her mouth.’
2. 2.2(of a person's muscles or skin) the quality of being firm or taut.
  ‘she felt the tightness of his bicep’
  ‘a good moisturizer would preserve his skin's tightness’
3. 2.3The quality of being well structured or disciplined.
  ‘the tightness of the argument’
  ‘the strength in this adaptation lies in the tightness of the script’
  ‘a film founded on tightness of plot’
  ‘Many of the tracks have an almost uncomfortable tightness; it's easy to miss the messy passion of his previous bands.’
  ‘The poems maybe don't have the urgency and tightness of the earlier work.’
  ‘Their musicianship is flawless, their improvisation and unit tightness impressive, and their connection with the audience electric.’
  ‘The lack of tightness in some entrances and exits give the show the appearance being under-rehearsed.’
  ‘If criticism be found, it was in the lack of tightness of the performance, which could have used more definition.’
3The state of having or allowing little room for manoeuvre.
‘the tightness of the space’
- ‘Given the tightness of the site, planning is necessarily economical.’
- ‘This area is very traditional and unspoilt, with the tightness of the valley restricting development.’
- ‘In an elevator, the tightness of the space, the tension arising from keeping one's gaze from meeting another's; all contribute to the frisson that can sometimes accompany a ride.’
- ‘Their ambush makes use of the tightness of the village - its narrow streets, irregular buildings, and convenient gangways between roofs - and turns the entire place into a huge boobytrap.’
1. 3.1The state of changing direction sharply.
  ‘the tightness of the bends’
  ‘Steam scalds the inside of your nostrils and you become aware of the tightness of the bends in the curves of your nasal passages.’
  ‘Sections of varying gradient, width and tightness of turn follow, leading to a steep, narrow gully with a fiendishly sharp turn at its end.’
  ‘The key to this look is uniformity - strive to make all the curls the same size and tightness.’
  ‘Bendability is the tendency of DNA to bend toward the major groove, and the B-DNA twist determines the tightness of the DNA coil.’
  ‘Turn 3 is the hardest due to the tightness of the corner.’
2. 3.2The state of being limited or restricted.
  ‘we remain concerned about the tightness of resources’
  ‘the tightness of my schedule kept me from playing tournaments’
  ‘the extreme tightness in today's oil markets’
  ‘Both regions are suffering from a severe and worsening tightness of power supply.’
  ‘Expectations of wage increases are strongest in mining and services - perhaps reflecting labour market tightness in these industries.’
  ‘Importantly, if this source of finance turns down, the resulting credit tightness will only further exacerbate credit losses and defaults.’
  ‘While the company expects to meet forecasted demand, some tightness in inventory is possible.’
  ‘I know it was probably because of the tightness of time, and the absorption in his own job, but it seemed to me very strange that he didn't want to go.’
4The state of having a close relationship.
‘he speaks with greater impact because of his tightness with Washington’
- ‘While the author presents a convincing argument for some relationship between military life and industrial life, the tightness of that relationship remains questionable.’
- ‘I cherish that tightness and family feeling.’
- ‘The band's guitars still crackle with all of the telepathic tightness of the old days.’
- ‘The tightness of the bond is further implied by the elder Sicinius's determination to have Pudentilla remain in his family by marrying Sicinius Clarus.’
- ‘I think the great thing that I've gotten from my parents and I've gotten from my extended family is a tightness, a family loyalty.’
5The quality of having only a small margin between winner and loser.
‘the tightness of the game was very evident’
- ‘Four states are of vital importance, because of their size and the tightness of the race there.’
- ‘Given the tightness of the election, it's hard for even the most attentive voters to cut through the cacophony of spin, campaign blather, and last-minute scare tactics.’
- ‘With six league games remaining, such is the tightness of the competition that, mathematically, both relegation and promotion still remain possibilities.’
- ‘I guess what I'm really asking here - the tightness that's reflected in the polls, isn't it surprising that he isn't in a better position?’
- ‘The tightness of the game was again very evident when they scored a goal to give them a two points lead once again.’