ret ‧ i ‧ cent /ˈretəs ə nt, ˈretɪs ə nt/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: present participle of reticere 'to keep silent' , from tacere ; ⇨ ↑ tacit ]
unwilling to talk about what you feel or what you know SYN reserved
reticent about
She’s strangely reticent about her son.
—reticence noun [uncountable]
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THESAURUS
■ not saying much
▪ quiet not saying much:
He’s a quiet boy who loves reading.
|
You’re very quiet tonight, Suzy – are you OK?
▪ silent not saying anything:
Her husband was a big silent man.
|
Everyone was arguing but I decided to remain silent.
▪ taciturn /ˈtæsətɜːn, ˈtæsɪtɜːn $ -ɜːrn/ formal not talking much and seeming a little unfriendly or bad-tempered:
He found Vaughn a taciturn and rather difficult person.
▪ reticent unwilling to talk to other people, especially about a particular subject:
She’s always been reticent about her early life.
▪ a man/woman of few words someone who does not talk much, especially because they only speak when there is something important to say:
My father was a man of few words, but when he spoke everyone listened.