Reticent
/ˈɹɛtɪsənt/ adj
adj ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Unwilling to communicate; keeping one's thoughts and opinions to oneself; reserved or restrained.
"They are slow and reticent, and are like a dull good horse which lets every nag pass him, but with whip and spur will run down every racer in the field."
- 2 Hesitant or not wanting to take some action; reluctant (usually followed by a verb in the infinitive). proscribed
"While many uncomfortable components of the Holocaust have been analyzed in minute detail, the rape of Jewish women during this era persists as a subject that scholars and victims alike are reticent to explore."
Adjective
- 1 reluctant to draw attention to yourself wordnet
- 2 cool and formal in manner wordnet
- 3 temperamentally disinclined to talk wordnet
Example
More examples"He is reticent and he never speaks unless spoken to."
Etymology
Latin reticēns, present participle of reticeō (“to keep silence”).