INDEX:
1. tight clothes
2. when a rope, wire etc has been pulled or stretched tight
3. fastened tight
4. to make something tight
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ LOOSE
to hold something tightly : ↑ HOLD (2)
ways of saying that clothes do not fit : ↑ FIT/NOT FIT
see also
↑ ATTACH
↑ FASTEN/UNFASTEN
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1. tight clothes
▷ tight /taɪt/ [adjective]
tight clothes or shoes are only just big enough for you to wear, and they are often uncomfortable :
▪ This skirt is far too tight.
▪ Tight shoes can cause corns and other foot problems.
▪ I never wear tight clothes - I just don’t feel comfortable in them.
▷ skintight /ˈskɪntaɪt/ [adjective]
skintight clothes are very tight and fit exactly to the shape of your body, especially in a way that looks sexually attractive :
▪ Suzy was wearing a sleeveless skintight dress and sandals.
▪ a pair of skintight jeans
▷ tight-fitting/close-fitting /ˌtaɪt ˈfɪtɪŋ◂, ˌkləʊs ˈfɪtɪŋ◂/ [adjective]
tight-fitting or close-fitting clothes are deliberately made to be tight when they are worn :
▪ Standing next to him was a small, thin woman in a close-fitting black suit.
▪ The diver’s wet suit should be tight-fitting, yet allow reasonable freedom of movement.
2. when a rope, wire etc has been pulled or stretched tight
▷ tight /taɪt/ [adjective]
rope, wire, cloth etc that is tight has been pulled or stretched as far as possible so that it is straight or it cannot move :
▪ If the straps aren’t tight enough, the saddle can slip.
▪ ‘Seat belt tight? Good, this could be a rough ride.’
tightly [adverb]
tightly wrapped
▪ Sylvia handed me a large parcel, tightly wrapped in brown paper.
▷ taut /tɔːt/ [adjective] written
stretched very tight :
▪ The skin of his face felt dry and taut.
▪ He massaged the taut muscles of her neck.
▪ A single strand of taut barbed wire was strung along the top of the garden wall.
3. fastened tight
▷ tight /taɪt/ [adjective]
a screw, lid, cover etc that is tight has been firmly fixed and is difficult to move :
▪ Check that the screws are tight.
▪ Cover with a tight lid and refrigerate.
▷ firmly /ˈfɜːʳmli/ [adverb]
if something is firmly closed or fixed, it has been closed or fixed so that it cannot move :
▪ The posts must be fixed firmly in the ground.
▪ When leaving the house, check that all doors and windows are firmly closed and locked.
▷ securely /sɪˈkjʊəʳli/ [adverb]
if something is securely fastened or fixed, it has been carefully fastened or fixed so that it will not move or open and cause an accident :
▪ We made sure that our bags were securely fastened to the roof of the car.
▪ A large safety screen, securely fixed to the wall, will prevent a child coming into contact with a fire.
▷ fast /fɑːstǁfæst/ [adverb]
if something is held, stuck, or tied fast it is held, stuck, or tied so tightly that it cannot be moved at all :
▪ The front of the boat was stuck fast in the mud.
▪ The spare tyre on the back of the Jeep was held fast by three strong bolts.
4. to make something tight
▷ tighten /ˈtaɪtn/ [transitive verb]
to make something tight, either by fastening it firmly so that it cannot move, or by pulling it until it is tight :
tighten a screw/bolt
by turning it
▪ Tighten the screws gradually until the wheel is firmly in place.
▪ He changed the spanner for one the correct size and tightened the nut.
tighten a rope/belt/string etc
▪ I think the fan belt needs to be tightened.
▷ pull something tight /ˌpʊl something ˈtaɪt/ [verb phrase]
to pull a string, rope etc hard, so that it becomes tight :
▪ Brian wrapped some string round the parcel and pulled it tight.
▪ She buttoned her jacket all the way up and pulled the collar tight around her neck.
▷ stretch /stretʃ/ [transitive verb]
to pull a piece of rope, cloth, rubber etc so that it becomes tight, making it slightly longer than it normally is :
▪ Seth stretched the phone cord around the corner so that he could speak in private.
stretch something over/between etc something
▪ He stretched a large tarpaulin over the vehicle, tying it down at the corners.