reticence

English

Etymology

From Latin reticentia, from reticēre

Noun

reticence (uncountable)

1. tight-lippedness, discretion, avoidance of saying too much
2. a silent and reserved nature

Quotations

• 1897: You must not be angry with him, Art, because his very reticence means that all his brains are working for her good. — Dracula, Bram Stoker

Synonyms

• reserve, secrecy, taciturnity
• bashfulness, demureness, diffidence, quietness, reservation, shyness, timidity

Antonyms

• openness, talkativeness
• loquaciousness, ostentation

Translations

the avoidance of saying too much

Bosnian: šutljivost (bs) f., ćutljivost (bs) f. German: Reserviertheit (de) f., Schweigsamkeit (de) f.

Italian: reticenza (it) Russian: молчаливость (ru) f., немногословность (ru) f.

a silent nature

Bosnian: povučenost (bs) f. German: Zurückhaltung (de) f.

Russian: сдержанность f.

Related terms

• reticent, reticently