Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Habitually untalkative. synonym: laconic.
- adjective Characterized by reserve or a lack of expression.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Silent or reserved in speech; saying little; not inclined to speak or converse.
- Synonyms Mute, Dumb (see
silent ), reserved, uncommunicative, reticent.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Habitually silent; not given to converse; not apt to talk or speak.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Silent ; temperamentallyuntalkative ;disinclined to speak.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective habitually reserved and uncommunicative
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word taciturn.
Examples
-
His bosses are telling him to take it easy; he's charging about in taciturn Heathcliffian style following his hunches and shouting at a woman with "locked-in" syndrome.
The weekend's TV highlights David Stubbs 2010
-
Gen. Kosaner, appointed chief of the general staff last August, was known as a taciturn hardliner within the military.
Top Soldier's Retirement Shocks Turkey Marc Champion 2011
-
Gen. Kosaner, appointed chief of the general staff last August, was known as a taciturn hardliner within the military.
President Says 'No Gap' in Turkey's Military Command Marc Champion 2011
-
One of the advantages of being taciturn is that it is rare for your words to get you into trouble.
Dru Blood - I believe in the inherent goodness of all beings: November 2005 Archives 2005
-
One of the advantages of being taciturn is that it is rare for your words to get you into trouble.
Dru Blood - I believe in the inherent goodness of all beings: The Penultimate Peril 2005
-
Philip Baddock looked defiant, and Felkin taciturn and sulky.
-
When Bush picked Cheney he was known as a taciturn fixer who preferred to operate in the backrooms.
-
All that day and the next and the next Holmes was in a mood which his friends would call taciturn, and others morose.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes Arthur Conan Doyle 1894
-
I think there was a kind of taciturn and absolute resolution necessary to survive there that is actually a pretty heavy burden.
-
He was in his nineties, had been active up to this weekend, and represented the finest kind of taciturn Yankee.
Requiem for a nice guy jhetley 2004
john commented on the word taciturn
"Buffy, I too know the love of a taciturn man" - Willow Rosenberg, BTVS, "Enemies"
December 10, 2006
jword commented on the word taciturn
habitually silent; not inclined to talk
March 23, 2007
evin290 commented on the word taciturn
Like reticent, but in a bad way. :-P
August 30, 2007
seanahan commented on the word taciturn
Really? I always thought taciturn was a noble trait and reticent was refusing to reveal import information.
August 30, 2007
reesetee commented on the word taciturn
I always thought both words have a negative and positive connotation, depending on how you use them. :-)
August 30, 2007
personinthebox commented on the word taciturn
John, I actually learned the word from watching Angel. Who says TV isn't educational? :)
The word itself comes from latin..."Tacite" if I am remembering correctly. It means "silent" in that form. (Just so ya know.)
February 20, 2008
seaghost commented on the word taciturn
Elizabeth Bennet: "No... No, I prefer to be unsociable and taciturn... Makes it all so much more enjoyable, don't you think?"
August 5, 2008
trimylus commented on the word taciturn
"We go out in stormy weather
We rarely practice discern
We make love to some with sin
We seek out the taciturn"
-Spoon, "That's the Way We Get By"
April 29, 2009