Reticence
noun
The act of being unwilling to open up or speak about something.
Despite my efforts to engage in conversation, he showed a marked reticence.
Often appears as...
- display reticence
- overcome reticence
noun
The quality of being reserved in speech.
Her natural reticence seemed to disappear when she was on stage.
Often appears as...
- natural reticence
- break someone's reticence
noun
The avoidance of saying too much.
The suspect's reticence only raised more questions for the detectives.
Often appears as...
- mask reticence
- hide behind reticence
noun
The act of being unwilling to open up or speak about something.
Despite my efforts to engage in conversation, he showed a marked reticence.
Often appears as...
- display reticence
- overcome reticence
noun
The quality of being reserved in speech.
Her natural reticence seemed to disappear when she was on stage.
Often appears as...
- natural reticence
- break someone's reticence
noun
The avoidance of saying too much.
The suspect's reticence only raised more questions for the detectives.
Often appears as...
- mask reticence
- hide behind reticence
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Guard
Reticence often implies emotional caution or self-protection in conversations.
He maintained his reticence about the traumatic event, keeping his feelings guarded.
Pro Tip 2/3Social Interactions
In social settings, reticence can hint at introversion or discomfort.
At the party, her reticence led others to believe that she was shy.
Pro Tip 3/3Polite Refusal
Reticence can indicate a polite way of declining to share information.
Her reticence in discussing her income was considered polite among her peers.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Guard
Reticence often implies emotional caution or self-protection in conversations.
He maintained his reticence about the traumatic event, keeping his feelings guarded.
Pro Tip 2/3Social Interactions
In social settings, reticence can hint at introversion or discomfort.
At the party, her reticence led others to believe that she was shy.
Pro Tip 3/3Polite Refusal
Reticence can indicate a polite way of declining to share information.
Her reticence in discussing her income was considered polite among her peers.
Pro Tip 1/3Emotional Guard
Reticence often implies emotional caution or self-protection in conversations.
He maintained his reticence about the traumatic event, keeping his feelings guarded.
Pro Tip 2/3Social Interactions
In social settings, reticence can hint at introversion or discomfort.
At the party, her reticence led others to believe that she was shy.
Pro Tip 3/3Polite Refusal
Reticence can indicate a polite way of declining to share information.
Her reticence in discussing her income was considered polite among her peers.
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Video examples
Hendrik Poinar: Bring...
it feels like you're reticent there, and yet you've given us a vision of it being so possible. What's your reticence? Hendrik I don't think it's reticence. I think it's just that we have to think very deeply about the implications, ramifications of our actions,
Video examples
Hendrik Poinar: Bring...
it feels like you're reticent there, and yet you've given us a vision of it being so possible. What's your reticence? Hendrik I don't think it's reticence. I think it's just that we have to think very deeply about the implications, ramifications of our actions,
Example 1 of 1
Quote examples
Jose Angel Gurria
Mexican Economist
You do need more revenues, and you do need to cut expenses. But you also don't want to go in a direction whereby increasing taxes creates a reticence to create new jobs. You don't want to increase taxes on work. You don't want to increase taxes on investment and the creation of wealth.
Quote examples
Andrew Solomon
Writer
Nowadays, people often ask me when I came out, generalising from the experience of many young people who announce themselves to the world on a particular afternoon. But I did not divorce my reticence in a single sharp break. Rather, I seeped out like a spreading wine stain.
Quote examples
Kara Swisher
American Journalist
As anyone who has covered the company for any length of time knows, Yahoo's record on major decision-making has been akin to a hippie commune - a lot of wrangling internally in a culture where everyone seems to have a voice and a reticence to push the button to launch.
Quote examples
Ngaio Marsh
New Zealander Writer
I always, by an involuntary act of defensiveness, return to my everyday self: so, I find, have I withdrawn from writing about experiences which have most closely concerned and disturbed me. I have been deflected by my own reticence.
Quote examples
William Shatner
Canadian Actor
The name Shatner is Austrian and partly Germanic, and there's Germanic reticence and silence perhaps, but there is passion underneath.
Quote examples
Gillian Armstrong
Australian Director
After Sept. 11, there was a reticence and worrying about films that touched on war, and even more on terrorism.
Quote examples
Enzo Ferrari
Italian Designer
Racing is a great mania to which one must sacrifice everything, without reticence, without hesitation.
Quote examples
Pamela Stephenson
Australian Actress
There is a probably natural and learned reticence with myself talking about my early life.
Quote examples
Lisa Guerrero
American Journalist
There's that initial reticence for some athletes to take you seriously.
Quote examples
William E. Gladstone
British Leader
It is not a life at all. It is a reticence, in three volumes.
Quote examples
Jose Angel Gurria
Mexican Economist
You do need more revenues, and you do need to cut expenses. But you also don't want to go in a direction whereby increasing taxes creates a reticence to create new jobs. You don't want to increase taxes on work. You don't want to increase taxes on investment and the creation of wealth.
Quote examples
Andrew Solomon
Writer
Nowadays, people often ask me when I came out, generalising from the experience of many young people who announce themselves to the world on a particular afternoon. But I did not divorce my reticence in a single sharp break. Rather, I seeped out like a spreading wine stain.
Quote examples
Kara Swisher
American Journalist
As anyone who has covered the company for any length of time knows, Yahoo's record on major decision-making has been akin to a hippie commune - a lot of wrangling internally in a culture where everyone seems to have a voice and a reticence to push the button to launch.
Quote examples
Ngaio Marsh
New Zealander Writer
I always, by an involuntary act of defensiveness, return to my everyday self: so, I find, have I withdrawn from writing about experiences which have most closely concerned and disturbed me. I have been deflected by my own reticence.
Quote examples
William Shatner
Canadian Actor
The name Shatner is Austrian and partly Germanic, and there's Germanic reticence and silence perhaps, but there is passion underneath.
Quote examples
Gillian Armstrong
Australian Director
After Sept. 11, there was a reticence and worrying about films that touched on war, and even more on terrorism.
Quote examples
Enzo Ferrari
Italian Designer
Racing is a great mania to which one must sacrifice everything, without reticence, without hesitation.
Quote examples
Pamela Stephenson
Australian Actress
There is a probably natural and learned reticence with myself talking about my early life.
Quote examples
Lisa Guerrero
American Journalist
There's that initial reticence for some athletes to take you seriously.
Quote examples
William E. Gladstone
British Leader
It is not a life at all. It is a reticence, in three volumes.
Example 1 of 10
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