taciturn
TAS-ih-turn
/ˈtæsɪtɜːrn/
Habitually quiet and inclined to speak very little; untalkative by temperament.
Describes a permanent personality trait of extreme word-thriftiness, not just a temporary pause.
The story behind the word. Directly inherited from Latin taciturnus, which derives from tacere ('to be silent'). It shares its heritage with 'tacit' (unspoken agreement), reflecting a lifelong habit of quietude.
Word relationships
- uncommunicative: Descriptive of lack of talking, but lacks the literary weight of taciturn.
- laconic: Laconic implies using few words that are remarkably concise or witty, whereas taciturn simply means rarely talking.
- garrulous: Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
- loquacious: Tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
Commonly confused with
- reticent: Reticent means reluctant to reveal specific thoughts, while taciturn describes a general disposition to stay quiet.
Word family
- taciturnity (noun): The state or quality of being taciturn.
- tacit (adjective): Understood or implied without being spoken aloud.
Collocations
- taciturn demeanor
- famously taciturn
- taciturn stranger
- taciturn silence
Idioms & expressions
- a man of few words
- tight-lipped
Example sentences
- "The old fisherman was a taciturn man who communicated primarily through slight grunts and hand gestures." Character portrait in literature
- "Known throughout the company as taciturn, he rarely spoke during meetings unless directly asked a question." Describing a solemn colleague
Memory hook
TACITURN sounds like 'Take a turn'—a taciturn person waits forever before taking a turn to speak. Silence is their default turn.
When not to use
Do not use to describe someone who is temporarily quiet because they are tired or shocked.
Fun facts
- President Calvin Coolidge was famously nicknamed 'Silent Cal' for his extreme taciturnity; a famous story claims a reporter bet she could get him to say three words, to which he replied, 'You lose.'
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