buttoned-up
adjective
but·toned-up
ˈbə-tᵊnd-ˈəp 
: coldly reserved or standoffish
a buttoned-up executive
Synonyms
Examples of buttoned-up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Brie, accustomed to playing buttoned-up Type-A characters, has a lot of fun with Amy's hippie-dippie aesthetic.
—
Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024
The high collar with lace trim is feminine and flirty without feeling too proper or buttoned-up.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2024
Ever since going viral on TikTok last year, Olympia Gayot, J.Crew's head of womenswear, has become a blueprint for high-low fashion that’s equal parts effortless and buttoned-up.
—Frances Solá-Santiago, refinery29.com, 11 Sep. 2023
The look consisted of a white buttoned-up shirt paired with an oversized navy blazer.
—Alex Kessler, Glamour, 30 June 2023
Button-downs were too baggy and wrinkle-prone for my taste—not to mention literally buttoned-up.
—Emilia Petrarca, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2023
At a time when the genre can seem smotheringly buttoned-up, and most of his peers in mainstream country stardom seem to have their s–t pretty well together both inside and outside of their music, Wallen’s cracks are almost always visible and/or audible.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2023
Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2024
The high collar with lace trim is feminine and flirty without feeling too proper or buttoned-up.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2024
Ever since going viral on TikTok last year, Olympia Gayot, J.Crew's head of womenswear, has become a blueprint for high-low fashion that’s equal parts effortless and buttoned-up.
—Frances Solá-Santiago, refinery29.com, 11 Sep. 2023
The look consisted of a white buttoned-up shirt paired with an oversized navy blazer.
—Alex Kessler, Glamour, 30 June 2023
Button-downs were too baggy and wrinkle-prone for my taste—not to mention literally buttoned-up.
—Emilia Petrarca, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2023
At a time when the genre can seem smotheringly buttoned-up, and most of his peers in mainstream country stardom seem to have their s–t pretty well together both inside and outside of their music, Wallen’s cracks are almost always visible and/or audible.
—Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 14 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buttoned-up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1767, in the meaning defined above
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Dictionary Entries Near buttoned-up
Cite this Entry
“Buttoned-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buttoned-up. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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