as in silent
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
a reserved and shy person who was wrongly thought to be stuck-up until someone finally got into a conversation with her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in retained
to continue to have in one's possession or power
I'm reserving the right to work by myself if you don't do your share of the project
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dedicated
to keep or intend for a special purpose
we must reserve this cup for ceremonial use only
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of reserved
Eric Deggans, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
Eddie’s brashness contrasted with Gus’s more reserved nature, but their differences amused one another.
—Rob Rossi, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Add pasta, reserved 1/2 cup cooking water, and butter to Dutch oven and place over medium-high.
—Elizabeth Mervosh, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reserved
Adjective
Raised in Iowa and Nebraska, Carson built his career as a host of variety and game shows with an approachable ease, developing a reserved charisma that helped fuel the rise of his show as a gigantically influential program with a massive audience.
—Eric Deggans, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
Eddie’s brashness contrasted with Gus’s more reserved nature, but their differences amused one another.
—Rob Rossi, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
McKennie, back with the national team for the first time since March, started as a central attacking midfielder, a position sometimes reserved for a clever playmaker.
—Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Add pasta, reserved 1/2 cup cooking water, and butter to Dutch oven and place over medium-high.
—Elizabeth Mervosh, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reserved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reserved
Adjective
-
Later, when Doyle comes into some mysterious bags of cash, and heads toward the mainland with a bottle of booze, a boat, and one last chance to go out in a blaze of self-immolation, Farrell manages to mix dread and adrenaline into every silent expression.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
-
James Cook was kept relatively silent in this game with 87 yards on 17 carries.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
He was substituted for the third time in the last six league games at Wolverhampton, Hurzeler avoiding the risk of a red card after the 21-year-old Cameroon international had been booked in the first half for a rash tackle.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
-
On April 9, authorities took a sample of DNA from Charon when he was booked into the Bexar County jail on charges of felony criminal mischief.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Palestinians were shifted from leading a liberation project to managing enclaves, while Israel retained control over their land, movement, and the map itself.—
Mohammed R. Mhawish,
New Yorker,
14 Oct. 2025
-
He was moved out of that role in 2004 after an overhaul of Disney’s TV operations, but still retained oversight of ABC News, ad sales and affiliate relations.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In the half-century that followed, Bardot dedicated herself to animal rights through her Brigette Bardot Foundation.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The search for Egypt’s last queen For nearly 20 years, Martínez has dedicated her work to locating Cleopatra’s burial site, a mystery that has eluded archaeologists for centuries.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In DaCosta’s hands, Ibsen’s emotionally extreme but tonally restrained play becomes a spectacular, flamboyant melodrama, with physical action as intense as the characters’ inner worlds.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
17 Oct. 2025
-
That would include gun-violence restraining orders and domestic violence protective orders, which are among several kinds of orders that compel a restrained person to surrender firearms.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Yes, if your lease states that a fine will be charged for windows that are kept open during the winter.—
Tamia Fowlkes,
jsonline.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Potted hardy hibiscus can be overwintered indoors and kept at 55ºF with three hours of direct full sunlight a day.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Having devoted a decade to his own music, Jakob Nowell felt up to the task when Sublime co-founders Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson invited him to collaborate with them in late 2023.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Most of these patients devoted hours every day to managing their condition.—
Carrie Arnold,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And, in one of the dumbest and most obviously racist postr taken by a presidential candidate, at some point Republicans became fixated on the idea that Haitian migrants were stealing pets for food in the Midwest.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
18 Oct. 2025
-
After Johnson gave his answer to that resolutely dumb question, several other luminaries took a whack at the zeitgeist piñata.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reserved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reserved. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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