1
as in silent
given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge
the panel decided to investigate the fraud charges against the company, which has always been reticent about its internal operations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in reserved
tending not to speak frequently (as by habit or inclination)
her husband is by nature a reticent person, and she resigned herself to that fact long ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reluctant
slow to begin or proceed with a course of action because of doubts or uncertainty
understandably, she's reticent about becoming involved with another evangelical religious sect
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 reticent
Though Porter County communities have so far been reticent about approving any data center proposals, several Lake County municipalities are more open to the idea.
—
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
This government-wide IG decapitation means the once-robust IG community operates in a culture of fear, likely reticent to open sensitive investigations or issue negative findings.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
And the company's reticent response suggested the whole thing was news to them.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 23 July 2025
European policymakers would be understandably reticent to invest time and resources in any deal that Trump could again scuttle at a moment’s notice.
—Garret Martin, The Conversation, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reticent
Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025
This government-wide IG decapitation means the once-robust IG community operates in a culture of fear, likely reticent to open sensitive investigations or issue negative findings.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025
And the company's reticent response suggested the whole thing was news to them.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 23 July 2025
European policymakers would be understandably reticent to invest time and resources in any deal that Trump could again scuttle at a moment’s notice.
—Garret Martin, The Conversation, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reticent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reticent
Adjective
-
For some patients, other tools—like a coronary calcium scan, which can directly show whether there’s silent plaque in the arteries—may be more useful.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
9 Sep. 2025
-
One silent element to the transfer portal that is seldom discussed, but important to the athletes, is those pesky classes.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The journey is comfortable, with reserved seats, onboard restrooms, and no worries about parking or crowded overlooks.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Garnish with reserved fennel fronds.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In saying that, Chelsea will be reluctant to block the pathways of Mamadou Sarr (on loan at Strasbourg) and Aaron Anselmino (on loan at Borussia Dortmund).—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
After the race, Mekies was reluctant to take credit for the result and made sure to credit the staff who worked on last year's race at Monza, from which the team made several adjustments.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The tie-up will result in the secretive research units of the two organizations – Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and BAE Systems’ FalconWorks – working together to build a rapidly deployable and modular range of uncrewed aerial platforms.—
Abhishek Bhardwaj,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Qatar has long history of being neutral territory for thorny diplomatic negotiations, including hosting an office for the Afghan Taliban during secretive talks with the US.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Classical minimalism, meant to evoke modest virtue and restrained power, is a good style for a democratic state.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The sizable rooms offer a restrained elegance, with white marble bathrooms, mid-century modern furniture, and black-and-white photos of striking architecture on the walls.—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Yet even in the face of these losses, many retailers remain hesitant to modernize their approach to returns, fearing that stricter policies could hurt customer satisfaction.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Institutions remain hesitant, citing compliance uncertainty, poor execution quality, and limited integration with existing financial infrastructure.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On highways and surface roads in the rural countryside west of Detroit, the 2025 Ford Explorer was smooth and quiet, with plenty of power for highway acceleration.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The peak of hurricane season is here, and activity could soon ramp up, despite the relative quiet currently occurring in the tropics, according to meteorologists.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The reigning Super Bowl champs better hope that’s the dumbest thing that one of their players does this season.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Sometimes, actors play a slightly dumber iteration of themselves; think James Van Der Beek in Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 and Liam Neeson in Life’s Too Short (a performance that got Neeson cast in this year’s The Naked Gun).—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reticent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reticent. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share