Synonym Chooser

How is the word taciturn distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of taciturn are reserved, reticent, secretive, and silent. While all these words mean "showing restraint in speaking," taciturn implies a temperamental disinclination to speech and usually connotes unsociability.

taciturn villagers

When would reserved be a good substitute for taciturn?

The synonyms reserved and taciturn are sometimes interchangeable, but reserved implies reticence and suggests the restraining influence of caution or formality in checking easy informal conversational exchange.

greetings were brief, formal, and reserved

When could reticent be used to replace taciturn?

The words reticent and taciturn can be used in similar contexts, but reticent implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs.

was reticent about his plans

Where would secretive be a reasonable alternative to taciturn?

Although the words secretive and taciturn have much in common, secretive, too, implies reticence but usually carries a suggestion of deviousness and lack of frankness or of an often ostentatious will to conceal.

the secretive research and development division

When is it sensible to use silent instead of taciturn?

The words silent and taciturn are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, silent implies a habit of saying no more than is needed.

the strong, silent type

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 taciturn That description might imply a certain urgency, but Cooper’s taciturn script is largely content to move with the speed and ambivalence of self-discovery. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025 The Bulls have a notable collection of minority owners that includes the Hunt family, owner of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and billionaire Neil Bluhm, but this group has remained similarly taciturn about a potential WNBA investment. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025 That presents her with a new problem — the groom's taciturn best man, Griffin, who will stop at nothing to make sure the wedding happens. Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025 The next day both boys were exhausted and taciturn with the adults, but cool with each other. Cyndy Etler, Hartford Courant, 28 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for taciturn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for taciturn
Adjective
  • Scherzinger’s only familiarity with the material was Billy Wilder’s 1950 film, which starred Gloria Swanson as a faded beauty of the silent era hell-bent on a return to relevance.
    Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani was born in Voghera, near Milan, on May 11, 1932, named after silent movie actor Rudolph Valentino.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • James logged 19 minutes off the bench, which was the second-most for a Hornets’ reserved.
    Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Using the fourth small reserved piece of dough, divide and make 3 balls the size of a key lime and 3 logs 1-inch across, then equally divide the rest of the dough into 3 balls about the size of a small plum, about 2½ inches around.
    Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • And that’s a stupid, dumb, mindless question.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
  • On TikTok, as The Washington Post has reported, some creators are making $5,000 a month using AI tools to write scripts and animate extremely dumb viral videos where old men talk about soiling themselves.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The same restrained values of democracy have always marked the White House—a stately house, but not an imperial one.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Cooper—director of pictures like Crazy Heart, Hostiles, and most recently The Pale Blue Eye—makes sure the proceedings are always restrained and respectful.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 24 Oct. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Taciturn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/taciturn. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on taciturn

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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