Meanings
comparative more closemouthed · superlative most closemouthed
- reticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Instructors were notoriously closemouthed about their gunnery techniques.
2001, C. R. Anderegg, Sierra Hotel: flying Air Force fighters in the decade after Vietnam1 more example
As much so as possible; they have hardly a way that you would like, my dear ma'am; and are as closemouthed as if they were afraid of committing themselves.
1852, James Fenimore Cooper, Home as found
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveinclined to secrecy or reticence about divulging information
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian мълчалив, необщителен
- мълчалив (mălčaliv)reticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- необщителен (neobštitelen)reticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Chinese 嘴严
- 嘴严 (zuǐyán)reticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Czech tichý
- tichýreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Dutch niet spraakzaam, gesloten
- niet spraakzaamreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- geslotenreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Finnish vaitelias, tuppisuinen
- vaiteliasreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- tuppisuinenreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
French taciturne, peu bavard
- taciturnereticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- peu bavardreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
German zurückhaltend, schweigsam
- zurückhaltendreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- schweigsamreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- verschwiegenreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Hebrew שתקן
- שתקןreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Hungarian szűkszavú, hallgatag
- szűkszavúreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- hallgatagreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Italian reticente
- reticentereticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Japanese 口堅い, 口が堅い
- 口堅い (kuchigatai)reticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- 口が堅い (kuchigakatai)reticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Portuguese reticente, taciturno
- reticentereticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- taciturnoreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Russian молчали́вый
- молчали́вый (molčalívyj)reticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Spanish taciturno, callado
- taciturnoreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
- calladoreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Swedish tystlåten
- tystlåtenreticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Yiddish שווײַגער
- שווײַגער (shvayger)reticent, secretive or uncommunicative
Cite this entry
closemouthed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/closemouthed
“closemouthed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/closemouthed. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “closemouthed,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/closemouthed.
Source: closemouthed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.