uptight

adjective

up·​tight ˈəp-ˈtīt 

(ˌ)əp-ˈtīt

1

a

: being tense, nervous, or uneasy

uptight overachievers

b

: angry, indignant

c

: rigidly conventional

an uptight conservative

2

: being in financial difficulties

uptightness

(ˌ)əp-ˈtīt-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• worried
• nervous
• upset
• anxious
• uneasy
• troubled

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

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

In the first film, mystical Chinese fortune cookies cause Anna, a rebellious teenager, and her uptight mother, Tess, to swap bodies. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for uptight

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

uptight

adjective

up·​tight ˈəp-ˈtīt 

(ˌ)əp-ˈtīt,

ˌəp-ˌtīt

: being tense, nervous, or uneasy