tight
affording little or no extra room; fitting closely, especially too closely: a tight collar.
difficult to deal with or manage: to be in a tight situation.
of such close or compacted texture, or fitted together so closely, as to be impervious to water, air, steam, etc.: a good, tight roof.
carefully arranged or organized and full; affording little leeway; packed: a tight schedule.
nearly even; close: a tight race.
Informal.
close, as friends; familiar or intimate.
united: The strikers are tight in their refusal to accept the proposed contract.
characterized by scarcity or eager demand; limited; restricted: a tight job market;tight money.
Journalism. (of a newspaper) having more news available than is required for or utilizable in a particular issue.
Baseball. inside (def. 18).
Scot. and North England. competent or skillful.
neatly or well built or made.
in a tight manner; closely; securely; tautly; firmly: Shut the door tight.The shirt fit tight across the shoulders.
soundly or deeply: to sleep tight.
Idioms about tight
sit tight, to take no action.
Origin of tight
1Other words for tight
Other words from tight
- tightly, adverb
- tightness, noun
- o·ver·tight, adjective
- o·ver·tight·ly, adverb
- o·ver·tight·ness, noun
Words Nearby tight
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use tight in a sentence
Just make sure the cap is on tight so it doesn’t leak, and that the bottle is not hot enough to burn you.
How to stay warm while sleeping in the frigid outdoors | Alisha McDarris | February 12, 2021 | Popular-ScienceIt may have been a lucky tip that led Freeman to the arrest, but it was his ability to connect with the tight-knit community—and his passion for investigating the heists—that put him in a position to receive it.
Bee theft is almost a perfect crime—but there’s a new sheriff in town | Andrew Zaleski | February 9, 2021 | Popular-ScienceBrady threw three touchdowns passes, two to tight end Rob Gronkowski and one to wideout Antonio Brown.
That really was one of the least enjoyable Super Bowls of all time | Neil Greenberg | February 9, 2021 | Washington PostKansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes finally got in sync with star tight end Travis Kelce, who had just one catch before the drive but then had four for 41 en route to the field goal.
Super Bowl highlights: Bucs celebrate championship, Tom Brady wins MVP | Des Bieler, Mark Maske, Chuck Culpepper | February 8, 2021 | Washington PostThe Kansas City defense had a goal-line stand in the second quarter to keep the game temporarily tight.
Buccaneers defeat Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, 31-9, as Tom Brady claims his seventh championship | Mark Maske | February 8, 2021 | Washington Post
And that means they also fall under the umbrella of programs most likely to get the axe when state and federal budgets are tight.
Because of the thinness of the air, there is a very tight margin between the correct and incorrect airspeeds, as little as 50 mph.
Weirich said whenever she saw Fox, she was wearing something too tight.
Major League Baseball, though, is still being tight-lipped about what the end of the embargo might mean for the sport.
Is Major League Baseball Ready For Cuba’s Players? | Ben Jacobs | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMissy also gets a bit tight-lipped when it comes to her personal life.
Masters of Alt Sex: SuicideGirls Hits Puberty and Wants to Invade Your TV Set | Marlow Stern | December 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST"It's always the way with them," sighed Miss Grains, who suffered from a complication of romantic tendency and very tight stays.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsHis boyish suspenders had been put away in favor of a belt, which was tight-drawn about his slim waist.
The Bondboy | George W. (George Washington) OgdenShe took to staring out across the grounds again, and one hand drew up slowly till it was doubled into a tight-shut little fist.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairIt is a very simple plan, and will be perfectly tight; it is by restoring an equilibrium on both sides of the piston.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis TrevithickBefore that time we always put rope-yarn between the lap of the boiler-plates to make the seams tight.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis Trevithick
British Dictionary definitions for tight
/ (taɪt) /
stretched or drawn so as not to be loose; taut: a tight cord
fitting or covering in a close manner: a tight dress
held, made, fixed, or closed firmly and securely: a tight knot
of close and compact construction or organization, esp so as to be impervious to water, air, etc
(in combination): watertight; airtight
unyielding or stringent: to keep a tight hold on resources
cramped or constricted: a tight fit
mean or miserly
difficult and problematic: a tight situation
hardly profitable: a tight bargain
economics
(of a commodity) difficult to obtain; in excess demand
(of funds, money, etc) difficult and expensive to borrow because of high demand or restrictive monetary policy
(of markets) characterized by excess demand or scarcity with prices tending to rise: Compare easy (def. 8)
(of a match or game) very close or even
(of a team or group, esp of a pop group) playing well together, in a disciplined coordinated way
informal drunk
informal (of a person) showing tension
archaic, or dialect neat
in a close, firm, or secure way: pull it tight
sit tight
to wait patiently; bide one's time
to maintain one's position, stand, or opinion firmly
sleep tight to sleep soundly
Origin of tight
1Derived forms of tight
- tightly, adverb
- tightness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with tight
In addition to the idioms beginning with tight
- tight as a drum
- tight as a tick
- tighten one's belt
- tighten the screws
- tight rein on, a
- tight ship
- tight spot
- tight squeeze
also see:
- in a bind (tight corner)
- sit tight
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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