1
2
: being in financial difficulties
Examples of uptight in a Sentence
If our flight is delayed, there's nothing we can do. There's no reason to get so uptight about it.
I don't know why people are so uptight about sex.
Recent Examples on the Web
The protagonist, Nora Stephens, is a New York literary agent, and the antagonist, if that’s the correct word for the character who is clearly going to become the love interest, is an uptight book editor.
—
Susan Coll
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
Predictably, the hubbub surrounding the photo was eventually framed as a war between uptight virgins and godless heathens, with a quieter contingent astounded only by the fact that this kind of marketing could still be so effective.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
The more uptight Theo gets, the looser Benedict’s performance appears, and his facility for physical comedy gets a workout.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025
This is a daunting role — that of an uptight lawyer confronting his own homophobia while defending a gay man (Tom Hanks) — but Washington does a fine job transforming the character from a life-lesson surrogate for the audience into a person with actual dimensions.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uptight
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Susan Coll
september 12, Literary Hub, 12 Sep. 2025
Predictably, the hubbub surrounding the photo was eventually framed as a war between uptight virgins and godless heathens, with a quieter contingent astounded only by the fact that this kind of marketing could still be so effective.
—Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
The more uptight Theo gets, the looser Benedict’s performance appears, and his facility for physical comedy gets a workout.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2025
This is a daunting role — that of an uptight lawyer confronting his own homophobia while defending a gay man (Tom Hanks) — but Washington does a fine job transforming the character from a life-lesson surrogate for the audience into a person with actual dimensions.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uptight
Cite this Entry
“Uptight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uptight. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
uptight
adjective
up·tight
ˈəp-ˈtīt 
(ˌ)əp-ˈtīt,
ˌəp-ˌtīt
: being tense, nervous, or uneasy
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