1
as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge
the panel decided to investigate the fraud charges against the company, which has always been reticent about its internal operations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reserved
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
her husband is by nature a reticent person, and she resigned herself to that fact long ago
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reluctant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
understandably, she's reticent about becoming involved with another evangelical religious sect
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reticent
Trump was notably out of character throughout his stay here, deferential to his host, marveling at displays of Chinese power and reticent to speak with the press.
—
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
The English have always been a reticent lot and the smartphone has probably made this worse.
—
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Allies of Brazil’s president in Congress said opposition governors, who are in charge of local police, are reticent about using funds from the initiative launched on Tuesday.
—
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Rashad has always been reticent to follow in the footsteps of his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates.
—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for reticent
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
The English have always been a reticent lot and the smartphone has probably made this worse.
—
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Allies of Brazil’s president in Congress said opposition governors, who are in charge of local police, are reticent about using funds from the initiative launched on Tuesday.
—
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Rashad has always been reticent to follow in the footsteps of his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates.
—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for reticent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reticent
Adjective
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That silent fear comes back as an earnout, where you only get paid if that client stays.
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Beyond the music, there are festive parades, workshops for making puppets or gardening, a 5K run, yoga, silent discos and much more.
Adjective
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Only standing-room general admission tickets remain; family, friends and classmates have already purchased the reserved seats.
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For years, cloud optimization focused heavily on areas such as compute sizing, storage efficiency and reserved instance planning.
Adjective
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The government has previously been reluctant to accept assistance from private organizations, particularly those linked to opposition groups.
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While Democrats outside of big cities and college towns remain reluctant to nominate socialists, polling shows socialism is increasingly mainstream within the party.
Adjective
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Submarines are among the most secretive and powerful machines in modern warfare.
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Exact specifications are difficult to come by, given how secretive China's space program remains about Shenlong.
Adjective
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The officers and Martin struggle briefly and then he is physically restrained face down.
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The officers and Martin struggle briefly and then he is physically restrained face down.
Adjective
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His kids, though hesitant at first, became a large part of the business.
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The stock is catching the eye of short-sellers, but as CNBC’s Yun Li reports, many still seem hesitant about betting against Elon Musk.
Adjective
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Prosecutors also alleged King fathered a child through an extra-marital affair and threatened the child’s mother to keep quiet.
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But he is viewed by Labour supporters as a more effective, optimistic and plain-speaking communicator than Starmer, who's quiet, lawyerly manner has consistently failed to connect with the public's national mood.
Adjective
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Not all blondes are dumb, don’t judge a book by its cover, yada yada yada, lo and behold, Reese Witherspoon is a certified movie star.
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Though Cady has made some gestures toward helping the Bowdens, like his behind-the-scenes effort to get one of Anna’s death-row clients exonerated last week, Tom and Anna should not be so dumb as to ignore his ulterior motives.
Cite this Entry
“Reticent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reticent. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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