uptight

adjective

ˈəp-ˈtīt How to pronounce uptight (audio)
Definition of uptightnext
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty he has a tendency to fret and get uptight whenever his usual routine is disrupted

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 uptight And the duo’s domestic bliss is interrupted by the arrival of a third party — their older sister Ruthie (Stephanie Hsu), an uptight lawyer whose midlife crisis brings her down to her brother and sister’s level. — Alison Herman, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026 With Mason Gooding, Chase Sui Wonders, Daveed Diggs, and pop star Charli XCX playing against type as Elliot’s uptight girlfriend. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 31 July 2026 Could anyone else be as uptight as Alan Ruck’s Cameron in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 21 July 2026 Will such scrutiny, in the end, make players uptight or liberate them? — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for uptight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uptight
  1. worried
  2. nervous
  3. upset
  4. anxious
  5. uneasy
  6. troubled
Adjective
  • Signs so far show Singles’ Day, China ’s biggest online shopping festival, is failing to entice worried consumers into splashing out more, even when they are offered bargains.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Additionally, The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the PMA is worried that if the watchmen went on strike, that other ILWU dockworkers would walk off the job in solidarity.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • Eha Retreat offers a full nervous-system reset through forest rituals and Nordic coziness.
    — Nicole Trilivas, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Nora is stuttery; Michael is relaxed; Saeed is nervous; Johnny is cooler than ice.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of nervous
Adjective
  • There was no upset this time in the season opener for TCU men’s basketball as the Horned Frogs rolled to a 98-59 win over Lindenwood Monday night at Schollmaier Arena.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Hafley was naturally upset about Ollie Gordon’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that turned into a 3rd and 5 into a 3rd and 20 that the Dolphins didn’t convert during the Patriots’ 21-0 run.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of upset
Adjective
  • Everyone’s inner monologue is narrated by no less than author Zadie Smith, whose voice-over’s cool assurance forms a productive contrast with the characters’ anxious scrambling.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Even so, a person calling about an arrest or a custody dispute is just as likely to be anxious, and a voice that sounds human but is not can feel like deception, whatever the law requires.
    — Hamid Kohan, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • Some Republicans, notably including Vice President JD Vance, have directly blamed their midterm losses on the Iran war, which continues to see intermittent fighting amid an uneasy stalemate.
    — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Set in 1970s Los Angeles, the musical explores family, artistic ambition and the uneasy passage of cultural knowledge from one generation to the next.
    — James C. Taylor, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • His arrival will force Violette to confront hidden truths of her troubled past filled with hidden truths.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
  • But when their increasingly dangerous scheme becomes a plan to escape their troubled families, the stakes spiral beyond their control.
    — Marta Balaga, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of troubled

Browse Nearby Words

upticks
uptight
up till
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Cite this Entry

“Uptight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uptight. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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