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- Dictionarytight/tʌɪt/
adjective
- 1. fixed, fastened, or closed firmly; hard to move, undo, or open: "she twisted her handkerchief into a tight knot" Similar compactcompactedcompresseddensehardunyieldingsolidOpposite loose
- ▪ (of clothes or shoes) close-fitting, especially uncomfortably so: "the dress was too tight for her" Similar tight-fittingclose-fittingnarrowfigure-huggingskintightsheathlikeinformal:sprayed onOpposite loose
- ▪ (of a grip) very firm: "she released her tight hold on the dog" Similar firmfastsecurefixedclenchedclinchedOpposite relaxedinsecure
- ▪ (of a ship, building, or object) well sealed against something such as water or air: "a light-tight container" Similar imperviousimpenetrablesealedsoundhermeticwatertightwaterproofairtightOpposite leaking
- 2. (of a rope, fabric, or surface) stretched so as to leave no slack; not loose: "the drawcord pulls tight" Similar tautrigidstifftensestretchedstrainedstressedOpposite slack
- ▪ (of muscles or skin) firm or taut: "he showed off his tight abs"
- ▪ (of part of the body) feeling painful and constricted as a result of anxiety or illness: "there was a tight feeling in his gut"
- ▪ (of appearance or manner) tense, irritated, or angry: "she gave him a tight smile"
- ▪ (of a rule or form of control) strictly imposed: "security was tight at yesterday's ceremony" Similar strictrigorousstringenttoughrigidfirmuncompromisingexactingsystematicmeticulouspainstakingscrupulousOpposite lax
- ▪ (of a written work or form) concise, condensed, or well structured: "a tight argument" Similar succincteconomicpithycrispstraightforwardconcisecondensedwell structuredlaconicterseto the pointsummaryshort and sweetin a few well-chosen wordsrare:compendiousepigrammaticsynopticaphoristicgnomicOpposite verbose
- ▪ (of an organization or group of people) disciplined or well coordinated: "the vocalists are strong and the band is tight"
- 3. (of an area or space) having or allowing little room for manoeuvre: "a tight parking spot" Similar smalltinynarrowcompactpokylimitedrestrictedconfinedcrampedconstricteduncomfortableminimalsparseinadequaterare:straitincommodiousOpposite generousroomy
- ▪ (of a bend, turn, or angle) changing direction sharply; having a short radius: "the coach failed to negotiate the tight bend"
- ▪ (of money or time) limited or restricted: "David was out of work and money was tight" Similar scarcescantyscantskimpymeagresparsereduceddepleteddiminishedlowin short supplylimiteddeficientinadequateinsufficientOpposite plentifulabundant
- 4. (of a formation or group) closely or densely packed together: "he levered the bishop out from a tight knot of clerical wives"
- ▪ (of a community or other group of people) having close relations; tight-knit: "New York's tight Orthodox Jewish community"
- 5. (of a game or contest) with evenly matched competitors; very close: "he won in a tight finish" Similar closeevenevenly matchedwell matchedhard-foughtneck and neckOpposite open
- 6. not willing to spend or give much money; mean: informal British "he is tight with his money" Similar miserlyparsimoniousniggardlyclose-fistedpenny-pinchingcheese-paringpenuriousScrooge-likeungenerousilliberalclosemeaninformal:stingymingytight-fistedcheapvulgar slang:tight-arsedtight-assedarchaic:nearOpposite generous
- 7. drunk: informal "he got tight on brandy" Similar drunkdrunkeninebriatedintoxicatedbefuddledincapabletipsythe worse for drinkunder the influencemaudlinblind drunkdead drunkrolling drunkroaring drunk(as) drunk as a lord(as) drunk as a skunksottishtipplingtopinggin-soakedinformal:merrythe worse for wearwoozypie-eyedtwo/three sheets to the windunder the tableplasteredsmashedwreckedsloshedsousedwell oiledsozzledblottoblitzedcannedstewedpickledtanked (up)soakedbombedhammeredblastedoff one's faceout of/off one's headout of one's skullwastedwiredin one's cupsreelingcock-eyedzonkedgutteredfuddledstinkorattedleglesssteamingbevviedparalyticBrahms and Liszthalf cutout of ithaving had a skinfulbladderedtrolleyedwell awaysquiffytiddlyout of one's boxhaving had one over the eightcutsteamedmulleredslaughteredlashedvulgar slang:pissedas pissed as a newt/fartrat-arsedarseholedinformal:foufullshickeredshotturntgrogged upas full as a googinkedmuntedlekkereuphemistic:tired and emotionalinformal, dated:stonedlit upas tight as a tickhalf seas overpixilatedarchaic:sottedbesottedfoxedscrewedrare:crapulentcrapulousinebriatebibulousebriousebrioseebriate
adverb
- 1. very firmly, closely, or tensely: "he went downstairs, holding tight to the bannisters"
Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘healthy, vigorous’, later ‘firm, solid’): probably an alteration of thight ‘firm, solid’, later ‘close-packed, dense’, of Germanic origin; related to German dicht ‘dense, close’.
Scrabble Points: 9
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