adjective

• (of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little.

  ‘after such gatherings she would be taciturn and morose’

  More example sentences

  • ‘This quiet and taciturn man has been as responsible as any individual for the rise in England's fortunes.’
  • ‘A smart yet taciturn girl, she never complained and she always followed her instructions to the letter.’
  • ‘He was also taciturn, but enumerated that he wanted a relationship with me.’
  • ‘That taciturn man with the eyes of a kind wizard has brought about a veritable revolution in gymnastics.’
  • ‘He was an extremely taciturn man, so it would have been totally out of character for him to have consciously chosen to make up that sort of thing.’
  • ‘He was a rather taciturn individual who discouraged chatter in the theatre.’
  • ‘He was conscious of it, but he was a taciturn man and just then he had nothing to say.’
  • ‘Friends described him as reserved, almost taciturn, but insatiably curious about science and technical processes.’
  • ‘Secretive and taciturn, he did not like to talk about himself and was loath to reveal too much about his thinking.…’
  • ‘These were a taciturn lot, slow-thinking, cautious and secretive.’
  • ‘But in her usual taciturn manner, the president kept silent, leaving it to her ministers to justify the hikes to the public.’
  • ‘Our group was a taciturn group of actors from theater, TV, and film, and we didn't even really meet beforehand.’
  • ‘The taciturn landlord, never quite friendly, usually acceptably civil and occasionally helpful, must be a type specially bred to run such places.’
  • ‘I trained myself so well I now have to be careful not to be taciturn.’
  • ‘Those who worked with the taciturn Field Marshall revered him.’
  • ‘He intends to go into management when he retires as a player, and already betrays some of the characteristics of his taciturn international mentor.’
  • ‘Never the most outgoing of men, he remains as taciturn as ever.’
  • ‘And she also tends to be rather taciturn, so many people who have access to her wonder what she's really thinking.’
  • ‘One is more taciturn, accepting what goes on with a shrug.’
  • ‘It was okay for boxers of 50 years ago to be taciturn, but today the champion is expected to be an entertainer.’

  Synonyms

  untalkative, uncommunicative, reticent, unforthcoming, quiet, unresponsive, secretive, silent, tight-lipped, close-mouthed, mute, dumb, inarticulate

  View synonyms