Taciturn
hardNegative toneTAS-ih-turn
adjective
Definition
Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little
Memory hook
TACIT-urn: TACIT means unspoken -- a taciturn person keeps things unspoken.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The taciturn witness gave only brief answers during testimony.”
“His taciturn nature made him seem mysterious to his colleagues.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The ______ witness gave only brief answers during testimony.”
Show answer
taciturn
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Taciturn is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "reticent" or "reserved" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "talkative".
Related GRE Words
uncommunicative
Unwilling to talk or give out information
reticent
Not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily; reserved
reserved
Slow to reveal emotion or opinions; reticent
demure
Reserved, modest, and shy; affectedly modest
diffident
Modest or shy because of a lack of self-confidence
epigrammatic
Concise, clever, and memorable in expression
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