closeted

adjective

clos·​et·​ed ˈklä-zə-təd 

ˈklȯ-

: closet entry 3 sense 3

a closeted gay man

Examples of closeted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cohn, who was a closeted gay man, was invariably attracted to what could be called über-Gentiles—tall, fair-haired, blue-eyed. — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

The hosts and reps are wives and mothers too (or the gay best friends of wives and mothers, or at least the closeted neighbor of wives and mothers). — Hannah Engler Harvey, Longreads, 30 July 2026

On the show, Barone plays Grace, the perfectionist older sister of Benny’s closeted freshman, trapped in a relationship with a noxious fail-bro played by Adam DiMarco. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 27 July 2026

His father was a closeted gay man who came out very late in life, then passed away at the age of 80. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for closeted

• posited
• composited
• deposited
• electrodeposited
• redeposited