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 For about half of this day, feelings are a bit uptight while the Moon passes over Saturn. — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 7 July 2026 Anna and Tom’s daughter, Natalie (Lily Collias), views Cady as a source who might finally tell her the truth about her uptight mother and avoidant stepfather. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026 After granting his request to aid his cause, Sharako insists that the uptight Lannister prove his worth by wrestling her in a mud pit. — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 21 June 2026 Dabbling in this culinary staple is an antidote to uptight, disciplined design. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 29 May 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
  • Trump’s approval ratings, however, are at an all-time low, and the party is worried about MAGA voters not turning out in large numbers.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a generational gap in the concerns, with people increasingly worried about younger generations and entry-level jobs getting eaten by AI.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • People were understandably very nervous about being on camera, letting a camera into the room.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Vinny, short for Vincent van Gogh, gets nervous and prefers shorter, quieter walks, and Macaroni, named after Fleetwood Mac, makes the stroller a tight squeeze for two cats.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of nervous
Adjective
  • Bayern Munich also play Thursday, hosting Bodo/Glimt, who last season knocked out Inter in a huge last-32 upset.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The seven-time Grand Slam champion ultimately fell to Shelton in the thrilling upset, 6-7(5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7).
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of upset
Adjective
  • That feels very much in tune with the anxious characters Eisenberg has played over the course of his acting career, but this whole directing thing is working out nicely for him, too.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Nelson remembers hushing her foster children back to sleep that night and calling 911, anxious for an end to those sleepless nights.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • Vingegaard placed second and Roglič third, completing a historic-but-uneasy single-team podium.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In this tense, uneasy landscape, a separated couple, Natalie and Asher, reunite to take their child, Logan, on a trip to tour colleges in both territories.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In the last decade Germany has sheltered millions of refugees, mainly from Syria and other troubled countries in the Middle East.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 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 Sep. 2026.

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