buttoned-up 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbə-tᵊnd-ˈəp How to pronounce buttoned-up (audio)
Definition of buttoned-upnext
as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others a buttoned-up colleague who had no interest in talking about anything but work, even at parties

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

buttoned (up)

2 of 2

verb

past tense of button (up)
as in zipped (up)

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of buttoned-up
Adjective
Angela Rayner Starmer is often criticized for being buttoned-up and lawyerly. — Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 May 2026 Aidala is folksy, while Agnifilo is more buttoned-up. — ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026 Raquel Welch brought her signature va-va-voom and fashion-forward style to the Oscars, with low necklines, high slits, and daring silhouettes, during a time when the ceremony dress code was much more (literally) buttoned-up. — Kevin Huynh, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026 The new offering, however, seems more buttoned-up. — Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buttoned-up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttoned-up
  1. detached
  2. distant
  3. cold
  4. cool
  5. reserved
Adjective
  • The problem is the acting, which is broad, detached and, frankly, often amateurish.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The exterior entry and upper-level access of the detached, two-story guesthouse.
    — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of detached
Adjective
  • An exuberant pre-dawn sky — filled with large, bright stars, a luminous crescent moon, and blue and white swirls — dominates the landscape featuring a prominent cypress tree and distant hillside village.
    — Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The changes include allowing the adoption of distant male relatives raised as commoners to become royals and father future heirs, and letting princesses keep their royal status after marrying commoners.
    — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of distant
Adjective
  • And without colder weather, where the temperatures drop and stay below zero, the result will likely be a smaller snowpack.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
  • How bad the flu season gets each year depends on factors such as the dominant flu strain, how well the annual vaccine matches it, how many people get vaccinated, tourism levels, and how much cold weather leads to more indoor gatherings.
    — Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • Cardboard boxes and paper bags of food items being stored directly on floor of walk-in cooler and dry storage area.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Using tongs, immediately transfer to a large bowl of ice water and let cool.
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of cool
Adjective
  • Texas Football season ticket holders will not have access to their reserved seats for the show, and there aren’t any presales through Texas Athletics.
    — Mars Salazar, Austin American Statesman, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Santaland will be located on the eighth floor, featuring Santa photos, festive treats and surprises with select dates open to the public and others for reserved appointments.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of reserved

Browse Nearby Words

buttoned
buttoned-up
buttoned (up)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Buttoned-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttoned-up. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fulsome

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All