| / English Dictionary |
TIGHT
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Affected by scarcity and expensive to borrow
Example:
a tight market
Classified under:
Similar:
scarce (deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand)
Domain category:
economic science; economics; political economy (the branch of social science that deals with the production and distribution and consumption of goods and services and their management)
Derivation:
tightness (a state occasioned by scarcity of money and a shortage of credit)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Packed closely together
Example:
the pub was packed tight
Classified under:
Similar:
compact (closely and firmly united or packed together)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
Example:
stringent safety measures
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
demanding (requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Exasperatingly difficult to handle or circumvent
Example:
a good man to have on your side in a tight situation
Synonyms:
nasty; tight
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
difficult; hard (not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Very drunk
Synonyms:
besotted; blind drunk; blotto; cockeyed; crocked; fuddled; loaded; pie-eyed; pissed; pixilated; plastered; slopped; sloshed; smashed; soaked; soused; sozzled; squiffy; stiff; tight; wet
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
drunk; gone; inebriated; intoxicated; ripped (stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol))
Domain usage:
argot; cant; jargon; lingo; patois; slang; vernacular (a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves))
Sense 6
Meaning:
(of a contest or contestants) evenly matched
Example:
a tight game
Synonyms:
close; tight
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
equal (having the same quantity, value, or measure as another)
Sense 7
Meaning:
(used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity
Example:
he left a miserly tip
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
stingy; ungenerous (unwilling to spend (money, time, resources, etc.))
Derivation:
tightness (extreme stinginess)
Sense 8
Meaning:
Of such close construction as to be impermeable
Example:
warm in our tight little house
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
air-tight; airtight; gas-tight (not allowing air or gas to pass in or out)
dripless (designed to prevent dripping)
hermetic (completely sealed; completely airtight)
leakproof (not subject to leaks)
rainproof; waterproof; waterproofed (not permitting the passage of water)
snug (well and tightly constructed)
watertight (not allowing water to pass in or out)
Also:
seaworthy (fit for a sea voyage)
impermeable (preventing especially liquids to pass or diffuse through)
tight (closely constrained or constricted or constricting)
Antonym:
leaky (permitting the unwanted passage of fluids or gases)
Sense 9
Meaning:
Closely constrained or constricted or constricting
Example:
a tight feeling in his chest
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
choky (so tight as to tend to choke)
clenched; clinched (closed or squeezed together tightly)
close; close-fitting; snug (fitting closely but comfortably)
skin-tight; skintight (so tight as to cling to the skin)
skinny; tight-fitting; tight fitting; tightfitting; tightly fitting (fitting snugly)
viselike (clamped as in a vise)
Also:
tight (of such close construction as to be impermeable)
tense (taut or rigid; stretched tight)
Antonym:
loose (not tight; not closely constrained or constricted or constricting)
Derivation:
tightness (a tight feeling in some part of the body)
Sense 10
Meaning:
Pressed tightly together
Example:
with lips compressed
Synonyms:
compressed; tight
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
closed; shut (used especially of mouth or eyes)
Sense 11
Meaning:
Securely or solidly fixed in place; rigid
Example:
the bolts are tight
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
secure (not likely to fail or give way)
Sense 12
Meaning:
Of textiles
Example:
smooth percale with a very tight weave
Synonyms:
close; tight
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
fine (of textures that are smooth to the touch or substances consisting of relatively small particles)
Sense 13
Meaning:
Pulled or drawn tight
Example:
a tight rope
Synonyms:
taut; tight
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
tense (taut or rigid; stretched tight)
Derivation:
tightness (lack of movement or room for movement)
Sense 14
Meaning:
Set so close together as to be invulnerable to penetration
Example:
a tight blockade
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
invulnerable (immune to attack; impregnable)
Derivation:
tightness (the spatial property of being crowded together)
II. (adverb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Firmly or closely
Example:
held tight
Synonyms:
fast; tight
Classified under:
Sense 2
Meaning:
In an attentive manner
Example:
he remained close on his guard
Synonyms:
close; closely; tight
Classified under:
Context examples:
The hair is short, thick and tight to its body.
(Doberman Pinscher, NCI Thesaurus)
This allele, which encodes cingulin-like protein 1, is involved in the formation of tight junctions.
(CGNL1 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)
This gene plays a role in tight junction organization.
(CGNL1 Gene, NCI Thesaurus)
Some coats can be course, but most are short and tight.
(Catahoula Leopard Dog, NCI Thesaurus)
The cadherins are cell surface adhesion molecules that help form tight junctions between cells, such as in formation of epithelial cell layers.
(Cell to Cell Adhesion Signaling Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)
“It's Copperfield!” and rushed into my arms, where I held him tight.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
But the Tin Woodman caught the dog in his arms and held him tight, while he called to the mice, "Come back! Come back! Toto shall not hurt you."
(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)
Now the unknown had caught tight hold of him.
(White Fang, by Jack London)
"Iss!" and Demi shut his eyes tight, as if to catch sleep and hurry the desired day.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
This gene plays a role in tight junction formation.
(AMOT Gene, NCI Thesaurus)
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