TACITURN


Meaning of TACITURN in English

ta ‧ ci ‧ turn /ˈtæsətɜːn, ˈtæsɪtɜːn $ -ɜːrn/ BrE AmE adjective formal

[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Language: French ; Origin: taciturne , from Latin taciturnus , from tacitus ; ⇨ ↑ tacit ]

speaking very little, so that you seem unfriendly ⇨ monosyllabic

—taciturnity /ˌtæsəˈtɜːnəti, ˌtæsɪˈtɜːnəti $ -ɜːr-/ 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.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.