chiefly US slang
: a rigidly straitlaced, conventional, or inhibited person
As Indiana warmed up, Wilkerson noticed Bo Ellis, Marquette's star forward, pointing to the Hoosiers' retro warmups and laughing. Clearly, this game matched the cool dudes from Milwaukee against the tight-asses from Bloomington.—
Jack McCallum
Jack McCallum
tight-assed
adjective
Like the schoolteachers who had tormented their childhoods, earnest and tight-assed, humorless and self-righteous.
—Robert Stone
Robert Stone
Word History
First Known Use
1971, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near tight-ass
Cite this Entry
“Tight-ass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tight-ass. Accessed 2 Jun. 2023.
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