closemouthed

English

Etymology

From close +‎ mouthed.

Adjective

closemouthed (comparative more closemouthed, superlative most closemouthed)

1. reticent, secretive or uncommunicative
   • 1852, James Fenimore Cooper, Home as found:

     As much so as possible; they have hardly a way that you would like, my dear ma'am; and are as closemouthed as if they were afraid of committing themselves.

   • 2001, C. R. Anderegg, Sierra Hotel: flying Air Force fighters in the decade after Vietnam:

     Instructors were notoriously closemouthed about their gunnery techniques.

Translations

reticent, secretive or uncommunicative

• Bulgarian: мълчалив (bg) (mǎlčaliv), необщителен (bg) (neobštitelen)
• Chinese: 嘴严 (zh) (zuǐyán) (zuǐ yán)
• Czech: tichý (cs)
• Dutch: niet spraakzaam, gesloten (nl)
• Finnish: vaitelias (fi), tuppisuinen
• French: taciturne (fr), peu bavard
• German: zurückhaltend (de), schweigsam (de), verschwiegen (de)
• Hebrew: שתקן
• Hungarian: szűkszavú (hu), hallgatag (hu)
• Italian: reticente
• Japanese: 口堅い (くちがたい, kuchigatai), 口が堅い (ja) (くちがかたい, kuchigakatai)
• Portuguese: reticente (pt), taciturno (pt)
• Russian: молчали́вый (ru) (molčalívyj)
• Spanish: taciturno (es), callado (es)
• Swedish: tystlåten (sv)
• Yiddish: שווײַגער (shvayger)