introvert

noun

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in·tro·vert | \ ˈin-trə-ˌvərt

plural introverts

Definition of introvert

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a person whose personality is characterized by introversion : a typically reserved or quiet person who tends to be introspective and enjoys spending time alone … introverts gain energy through solitude and quiet.— Bill Howatt His research further shows that about 70% of top executives are introverts.— Linda Grant Bill Gates is quiet and bookish, but apparently unfazed by others' opinions of him: he's an introvert, but not shy.— Steven Aitchison

Note: Introverts are typically more comfortable interacting with small groups of people rather than large groups (as at parties). The psychologist Carl Gustav Jung first introduced the terms introvert, introversion, extrovert, and extroversion in the early 1900s to describe personality types that focus a person's energy on either the inner or outer world. The terms introvert and extrovert have since become widely popularized, with introvert often broadly used to mean "a quiet or shy person."

… she was, by other accounts, a "shy sensitive introvert" who was "afraid of people and felt most comfortable when she could shut the door and withdraw."— Robert R. Harris — compare extrovert

2 : something (such as the retractile proboscis of some worms) that is or can be drawn in especially by invagination

introvert

verb

introverted; introverting; introverts

Definition of introvert (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to turn inward or in upon oneself or itself: such as

a : to concentrate or direct upon oneself … served the purpose of introverting aggressive intentions.— Ernst Simmel

b : to produce psychological introversion in "… I had gone through some pretty hard deals, and it did introvert me. … "— Joni Mitchell

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About introvert

Synonyms & Antonyms for introvert

Synonyms: Noun

Antonyms: Noun

extrovert
(also extravert)

Examples of introvert in a Sentence

Noun although interested in the public welfare, he was too much of an introvert to consider personally running for political office

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Anyway, being an introvert hardly explains why Netflix has failed to give her half as many lines as her 11-year-old sister. — ELLE, 14 Apr. 2022 Leonard was uncannily close to his father, an introvert who had kept llamas as pets and always brought mandarin oranges for halftime snacks. — Karin Brulliard And Adria Malcolm, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Apr. 2022 Leonard was uncannily close to his father, an introvert who had kept llamas as pets and always brought mandarin oranges for halftime snacks. — Karin Brulliard And Adria Malcolm, Anchorage Daily News, 2 Apr. 2022 Leonard was uncannily close to his father, an introvert who had kept llamas as pets and always brought mandarin oranges for halftime snacks. — Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2022 Charlie and other coaches recognized Austin’s mental toughness at an early age, but despite his gregarious and outgoing personality at the ballpark, Charlie says Austin was an introvert growing up. — Joe Noga, cleveland, 31 Mar. 2022 An introvert with a writer's stalker-ish tendencies, such as my love for people watching. — Ariana Godoy, CNN, 22 Mar. 2022 This installation is followed by two spaces intended to contrast Bergling’s existence as a thoughtful introvert and the often overwhelming realities of his hectic life as a global superstar. — Katie Bain, Billboard, 25 Feb. 2022 But on the other side is Miles, a moody introvert with a poetic nature who resents the coarse ways his alter ego has exploited his true passions. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, 4 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb As a sober person, the idea of staying in, introverting, and enjoying downtime isn’t what’s getting to me. — Carly Benson, SELF, 30 Mar. 2020 Which is to say, the music and script still fuse marvelously in the account of the big lie in which introverted Evan Hansen envelops himself and the vulnerable people around him. — Peter Marks, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2019 In fact, introverts feel more alive and at an equilibrium in quiet, minimally stimulating environments. — K. Lori Hanson, Ph.d., miamiherald, 14 May 2018 Being introverted – often described as a person's comfort with various levels of stimulation and the need to detach in order to recharge one’s batteries – is a good thing. — K. Lori Hanson, Ph.d., miamiherald, 14 May 2018 Lincecum, introverted by nature, politely declined. — Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 2018 So help me out, readers - are any of you introverts, like me? — Ellie Delano, Woman's Day, 15 July 2014 Surrounded by studio hands including Philadelphia musician Alex G on guitar, Ocean introverted himself to get in the zone. — Eve Barlow, Billboard, 23 July 2017 Obama's so much colder and more restrained than that, so much more ruthlessly calculated and inward-looking, so much more mysteriously introverted even as his rhetoric explodes in flashes of fascinating brilliance. — Stephen Marche, Esquire, 17 Oct. 2012 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'introvert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for introvert

Noun

(sense 2) noun derivative of introvert entry 2; (sense 1) back formation from introverted

Verb

borrowed from New Latin intrōvertere, from Latin intrō- intro- + vertere "to turn" — more at worth entry 4

Learn More About introvert

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster

Dictionary Entries Near introvert

introversion

introvert

introverted

Statistics for introvert

Last Updated

9 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Introvert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/introvert. Accessed 19 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for introvert

introvert

noun

Medical Definition of introvert

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person whose personality is characterized by introversion : a typically reserved or quiet person who tends to be introspective and enjoys spending time alone

Note: Introverts are typically more comfortable interacting with small groups of people rather than large groups (as at parties). The psychologist C. G. Jung first introduced the terms introvert, introversion, extrovert, and extroversion in the early 1900s to describe personality types that focus a person's energy on either the inner or outer world. The terms introvert and extrovert have since become widely popularized, with introvert often broadly used to mean "a quiet or shy person." — compare extrovert